Former Bulls, Warriors and Bucks forward Jason Caffey returned to college. He plans to complete a degree in Physical Education at Alabama State University and graduated in December 2024.
The Bulls selected Caffey with the No. 20 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. He played college at Alabama before NBA stings with the Bulls, Warriors and Bucks. Caffey retired in 2003 and struggled financially after paying child support for 10 children from eight different women. In 2007 he filed for bankruptcy protection, but a judge in Alabama rejected it in 2008.
Caffey experienced adversity but he is still positive, appreciating the opportunity that Alabama State University gives to people looking for a second chance in college and in life.
“I am proud to have chosen ASU as the school that I want to proudly one-day soon say that I am one of its alumni,” Caffey told the Alabama State University official website recently. “I first became acquainted with Alabama State’s great reputation as a child growing up in Mobile and knew of its great history as one of America’s oldest and most famous HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) in both education and as one of the nation’s leadership centers in the civil rights movement.”
“I chose ASU also because it gives me that personal touch – a boutique experience — like a small elite academy, which will teach me and others world-class educational standards, in a small class setting, while preparing me for the future by reminding me of the toils of the past. If we forget our past, we are bound to fail in the future and Alabama State helps me and other undergraduate students to know where we came from so we can get to where we need to be,” Caffey added.
Caffey won back-to-back NBA Championships in 1996 and 1997 alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. He was a rookie when the Bulls won 72 games in the 1995-96 season and he had a more prominent role in the 1996-97, averaging 7.3 points, four rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 18.7 minutes over 75 games (19 starts). Caffey’s best year of his career was in the 1999-00 season, when he averaged 12 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 30.4 minutes over 71 games (56 starts).
The decision to go back to college mirrors the same growth and resilience that Caffey displayed in the NBA and is a powerful example for those who need a second chance and motivation to keep fighting for their dreams.
