ESPN NBA

Here's something I learned earlier this year, and that I am shocked we don't all know about talk about more: there is an epidemic of sexual abuse and molestation of children in this country. According to the curriculum of Our Whole Lives, a respected sexuality education program:

some estimates are that one in three girls and one in eight boys are sexually abused by the time they are 18 years old. Recent studies suggest that abuse of boys may be as common as abuse of girls.

Makes you wonder, out of the 350 or so players who are in the NBA any given season, how many of them are victims of sexual abuse? This is an epidemic of silence, and those who speak out have a lot of courage, and can be a lot of inspiration to their fellow victims, who all too often are derailed by shame.

I bring this up today, because today's the day the New York Jets' Laveranues Coles became the NFL's public face of sexual abuse recovery, in an incredible New York Times article by Karen Crouse. Telling his story to the world took a lot of guts. I wonder if, among the many sexual abuse victims who are undoubtedly playing in the NBA, there might be one or two willing to join Coles in a show of strength. It'd be a great way to show children who are locked in silence that they are not alone and they there is no shame in speaking up. And it'd be a nice way to show Laveranues Coles he's not alone.