1. People confuse morality and ethics with intelligence. I don’t know any drug dealers but I’ll assume you need to be very smart to rise to a certain level of power beyond errand boy, and to not be in jail or killed. Eventually consequences may catch up with you, and very smart people are trying to take you down.
2. Making money does not necessarily make you smart, but keeping it does. Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and others made fortunes through basketball or other sports but are very smart men. They developed long terms goals and plans beyond the game. Ever hear about them getting in trouble with drugs, domestic violence, fights at a club, or bankruptcies? No. Because they’re smart and disciplined. They surround themselves with people smarter than they are while being smart enough to know better. Instead of having an entourage of people stealing and wasting their money.
3. Choosing a profession without a big paycheck while helping society is commendable. We should place greater value on teachers and education. This is why Lebron is intelligent enough to put millions of his money into a school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Where children from his neighborhood can obtain a quality education with the possibility of having a college education paid for. He knows he’s a extreme outlier and most people will never see a dime pursuing athletics over education.