Commish Wants to Raise Min Age

[Flauge]

I think this 'Flauge' character doesn't quite know what racist means.

Are the rules different for white 18 year old basketball players?

Fuckin' dumbass!

you are missing the point. no one said a white guy could go and a black guy couldnt. but why are the only two sports with these age requirements just so happen to be the sports african americans dominate? kind of odd, huh? Golf, nascar, tennis, baseball, MLS allowed a 14 year old to play. You can drive a nascar 200mph at 16.

But basketball and football.. nope got to be older. I know.. it's just a coincidence ... I got it.

 

[Flauge]

I think people would find it strange if an 18 was hired right from HS given a 6 figure salary. The reason for internships is to gain experience in your field. As far as NBA and NFL these owners are the ones giving away millions of dollars and with little to no minor league system its not surprising they have age limits. As far as the players oh no college gives them a free ride for two years and an education what a travesty someond call the ACLU thier rights are being trampled on.

High School kids sometimes make millions of dollars in business. No one bats an eye. It's cool. A kid tries to do it in basketball and it's wrong?

College is not the right choice for some people. Lebron, Kobe, Dwight, Kevin Garnett, Moses Malone, Jermaine Oneal come to mind. The idea that someone who has multimillion dollar talents should be stopped from marketing them ONLY exists in the NBA and NFL.. the two sports african americans dominate. I wonder why that is...

 

[Flauge]

Flauge...

I think your real issue is with colleges not compensating the players. That is an issue I can agree on. Colleges are making millions off of merchandise off of these kids and they don't get anything from it. That however is not an issue of race. It's pure greed. And greed doesn't care about black, white, or yellow...greed only sees green.

So if you want to have a discussion on what can be done to properly compensate these college athletes then I'm up for it. But I don't see any racism in the NFL and NBA forcing their athletes to stay in college.

I mean come on...when did it become such a bad thing to ensure that a kid gets another year of education and maturation before he takes that next big step.

The NFL especially is a very physical sport and they hold back their athletes for good reasons. Little joe who just turned 18 is not ready to go head to head with a grown Patrick Willis.

As for the NBA's 2 year in college rule I'm fine with it.

You cite names like Lebron, KG, Kobe, etc. but what about all the high school players that never made it, were out of the league within 2-3 seasons and had no college education to show for it.

Looking at it from the stand point of a fan who wants the best product both in the ncaa and nba...holding kids back 2 years in college benefits both.

1) NCAA gets a better product, because their one and done stars play an extra year

2) NBA rookies won't be as raw and will come into the league with a more refined game


As for other leagues like the MLB who scout kids when they're at the age of 14 (some even younger) and sign them when they're like 16...honestly I'm not a fan of that either.

First off, I think college should pay the guys.. but that's another topic. You site guys flunking out of the NBA after a few seasons. How many millions of dollars later is that? They can then afford to go to college and be a millionaire while doing it. And if they flunked out of the NBA.. whose to say they would have even been drafted had they gone to college. They may have stunk it up there. Then they would have (possibly) a college degree in communications and being working at the local McDonalds. When they could have had millions.

You bring up baseball signing guys at 16. Why is that okay? Why? Dont tell me youre not a fan of it. Why is it okay for a 16 year old with baseball skills to go make money and not the kid with basketball skills? The two sports african americans dominate in America is the NFL and NBA. Those just so happen to be the only two sports that wont allow an 18 year old adult to play. That 18 year old could go to Afghanistan and get shot. He can drive a NASCAR at 200 mph. He can face a fast ball at 100mph high and inside.. All that's cool. But sign a million dollar NBA contract? No? Why?

What is so different about the NBA and NFL athlete. How are they different than the tennis/nascar/golf/soccer guy?

 

[David_son]

High School kids sometimes make millions of dollars in business. No one bats an eye. It's cool. A kid tries to do it in basketball and it's wrong?

College is not the right choice for some people. Lebron, Kobe, Dwight, Kevin Garnett, Moses Malone, Jermaine Oneal come to mind. The idea that someone who has multimillion dollar talents should be stopped from marketing them ONLY exists in the NBA and NFL.. the two sports african americans dominate. I wonder why that is...

No one said its wrong but if you own a business and will be paying someone a few million dollars guaranteed are you wanting to hire them as an 18 year old. So then now look at thd NFL and NBA, one no minor leagues so its pretty much get drafted enter the big time. Men are still growing mentally and physically at 18 and you wanna throw them into a game with grown men and millions on the line. Having an age min is about protecting thd bottom line. Granted you are correct NCAA is a free minor leagues but who cares. Last thing people have challenged the min age requirements in court and have lost so there is nothing illegal about it.

 

[Flauge]

never said it was illegal. i think it is legal. i just think it is at best a stupid rule and at worst a racist rule. If i owned an NBA team would I pay an 18 year old millions? Yes. I would pay an 18 year old kobe/lebron/dwight millions. Absolutely.

the age limit protects the bottom line... There is absolutely no way to prove that insanely arbitrary statement. Like somehow the bottom line of the NBA would lower if 2 or 3 high school seniors enter the draft. The league would all of a sudden be hemorrhaging money? I'm calling bullshit on that. And only the bottom lines of the NBA and NFL are affected in this way... all the other sports arent. Got ya, Do you honest believe this?

 

[RoboticDreams]

you are missing the point. no one said a white guy could go and a black guy couldnt. but why are the only two sports with these age requirements just so happen to be the sports african americans dominate? kind of odd, huh? Golf, nascar, tennis, baseball, MLS allowed a 14 year old to play. You can drive a nascar 200mph at 16.

But basketball and football.. nope got to be older. I know.. it's just a coincidence ... I got it.

No you are missing the point. You keep saying that the 2 sports that are predominantly black, are the two sports where there is an age requirement. You said this new rule would be either stupid at best or racist at worse. The correct word usage would be *worst* if you are going to use the word at all.

You haven't said one thing other than make it about race but you keep saying that you aren't saying it's about race.

If you think it's racist then back that opinion up with something tangible and stop back peddling.

 

[David_son]

never said it was illegal. i think it is legal. i just think it is at best a stupid rule and at worst a racist rule. If i owned an NBA team would I pay an 18 year old millions? Yes. I would pay an 18 year old kobe/lebron/dwight millions. Absolutely.

the age limit protects the bottom line... There is absolutely no way to prove that insanely arbitrary statement. Like somehow the bottom line of the NBA would lower if 2 or 3 high school seniors enter the draft. The league would all of a sudden be hemorrhaging money? I'm calling bullshit on that. And only the bottom lines of the NBA and NFL are affected in this way... all the other sports arent. Got ya, Do you honest believe this?

The majority of players that enter the NBA and NFL already do not work out but you want to allow 18 year olds to join who most will not be ready and you think some how that won't effect the teams and the leagues. OK.


And as I have previously stated NBA and NFL have little to know development they have to be ready thd min they are drafted. MLB has like 70 rounds to their draft and three levels for development. Plus most times the 18 year olds aren't the ones getting paid the big money. Same with hockey you can be drafted and still go to school and if you do sign a contract there is two levels of development plus all the junior leagues. That is the difference right there. For ever Kobe and Lebron in the NBA there is 2 to three that were not ready at 18.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

For ever Kobe and Lebron in the NBA there is 2 to three that were not ready at 18.

Kobe wasn't even ready at 17/18. He was the 14th pick and only averaged 10ppg in his first two NBA seasons. Had he gone to college and developed himself as a player he would have been a top 3 pick and most likely own Rookie of the Year.

 

[trojanfan12]

Again I ask... why is it the two sports with predominantly black athletes the only ones with age requirements past 18? Baseball... no. Hockey... no. Nascar... no. Tennis...no Golf...no Basketball... yes. Football.. yes. I am sure that's just an amazing coincidence. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Believe whatever you want. I have no problem with Microsoft hiring a kid out of high school for 6 figures.. I have no problem with the Bucks hiring a kid out of high school for 7 figures. Forcing them to college to play for free and risk blowing knees out and missing out on money is stupid. there is Europe.. and that is actually a fair point. I really hope alot of these kids thumb their noses at college and go overseas to play.

For the NFL, it's a safety issue. A kid coming out of high school, simply isn't ready physically or emotionally for what it takes to make it in the NFL. In the other sports that you mentioned, they either have minor leagues (baseball, hockey) where they are brought along relatively slowly and allowed to develop before they are moved to the MLB or NHL clubs.

Tennis, golf and NASCAR are individual sports where the players can be protected and taught as they learn.

For the NBA, I think it likely has more to do with the overall product on the court than anything else. The product on the court in both the NBA and college has suffered because of the one and done.

Someone suggested that the kid should have a choice were they can enter the draft straight out of high school ala Kobe and Lebron or if they take the schollie, they must stay for 2 years. This works fine for kids who are either "NBA ready" out of high school or who are able to handle the 2 years of college. However, as they say, "college isn't for everyone".

I'd like to see the NBA change the developmental league a bit and also work more closely with some of the foreign leagues. This way, if a kid isn't "NBA ready" out of high school and isn't cut out for college, the NBA could send them to the D-League or Europe for a couple of seasons to develop.

 

[HizzleRocker]

Racist? This is hilariously stupid. Each league acts in its own interests.

Professional athletes have a hell of a lot more pressures and exposure than any of those jobs. Immaturity working at apple gets you fired and does little damage to the company. Immaturity in the NFL or NBA is a black eye on the business and is still a substantial amount of guaranteed money thrown away.

Racist.

 

[antone112]

It's so racist that the NBA is protecting their owner's money. Just disgusting.

 

[Flauge]

Kobe wasn't even ready at 17/18. He was the 14th pick and only averaged 10ppg in his first two NBA seasons. Had he gone to college and developed himself as a player he would have been a top 3 pick and most likely own Rookie of the Year.

Kobe is the perfect example. Kobe Bryant was an all-star in 1998 and you are arguing he would have developed better in college? He was 19 year old NBA all-star and you want the guy in college? Unbelievable.

Kobes 3rd year in the league he averaged 20 points 5 boards and 4 assists. I think his game got refined pretty well in the NBA.. and he made a couple million doing it.

 

[Flauge]

For the NFL, it's a safety issue. A kid coming out of high school, simply isn't ready physically or emotionally for what it takes to make it in the NFL. In the other sports that you mentioned, they either have minor leagues (baseball, hockey) where they are brought along relatively slowly and allowed to develop before they are moved to the MLB or NHL clubs.

Tennis, golf and NASCAR are individual sports where the players can be protected and taught as they learn.

For the NBA, I think it likely has more to do with the overall product on the court than anything else. The product on the court in both the NBA and college has suffered because of the one and done.

Someone suggested that the kid should have a choice were they can enter the draft straight out of high school ala Kobe and Lebron or if they take the schollie, they must stay for 2 years. This works fine for kids who are either "NBA ready" out of high school or who are able to handle the 2 years of college. However, as they say, "college isn't for everyone".

I'd like to see the NBA change the developmental league a bit and also work more closely with some of the foreign leagues. This way, if a kid isn't "NBA ready" out of high school and isn't cut out for college, the NBA could send them to the D-League or Europe for a couple of seasons to develop.

I would love for these high school seniors that are NBA ready.. to skip college and go overseas and play. i hate the fact the NBA forces a kid who has million dollar marketable skills to not be able to cash in on them.

As far as the NFL goes... I think some players would be ready at 19. Kickers


but in all seriousness, I dont think the NFL would draft very many people before 20. But you are kidding yourself if you dont think Jameis Winston is a first rounder right now if not for the age rule.

 

[trojanfan12]

I would love for these high school seniors that are NBA ready.. to skip college and go overseas and play. i hate the fact the NBA forces a kid who has million dollar marketable skills to not be able to cash in on them.

As far as the NFL goes... I think some players would be ready at 19. Kickers


but in all seriousness, I dont think the NFL would draft very many people before 20. But you are kidding yourself if you dont think Jameis Winston is a first rounder right now if not for the age rule.

I agree re: the high school seniors. If my son were an NBA ready high school player and didn't want to go to college for a season or 2, I would absolutely advise him to play overseas for a couple of seasons. That's why I'd like to see the NBA be a little less cut and dried on this.

If a kid is "NBA ready" out of high school and a team drafts him, let him play. If he chooses college, he's there for 2 years minimum. If he's not ready for the NBA and doesn't want to go to college then go overseas or to the D-League.

As for Jameis Winston, I'm not convinced that he's physically ready for the NFL. NFL players are a completely different animal than anything he see's in college. Even if he were NFL ready at his current age, the number of players like him are so few and far between that it really wouldn't provide enough evidence to warrant a rule change.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Kobe is the perfect example. Kobe Bryant was an all-star in 1998 and you are arguing he would have developed better in college? He was 19 year old NBA all-star and you want the guy in college? Unbelievable.

Kobes 3rd year in the league he averaged 20 points 5 boards and 4 assists. I think his game got refined pretty well in the NBA.. and he made a couple million doing it.

In his first two years Kobe wasn't NBA ready. Just like Kevin Garnett wasn't NBA ready.

By playing in college, these two future HOFers would have raised their value in the league. They would have signed bigger sponsorship deals and gotten more TV air time.

Are you a 17 year old with a grudge or something, Flange?

 

[Logicallylethal]

Not every high school kid or one and done phenoms are top 10 picks. Some believe in their own hype...enter their name in the draft...and then either end up undrafted or taken late in the second round and out of the league after a couple of seasons

In those kid's cases if they stay in college a year or two longer and refine their game then they would be able to earn themselves a higher draft pick and thus more money. Also the big pay check isn't the first pay check it's the pay checks after that.

So true it's nice to make a couple million right off the bat as an 18 year old...but if you flounder and end up a bust you never get a chance to make 20-30 or 40-50 mil. And as an 18 year old with a couple million living the life of an nba player...you're not set for life...90 % of those kids aren't "saving their money" so by the time they're out of the league they've probably spent most of their contract money already

The only cases that absolutely has no benefit is Lebron James and Dwight Howard. Those were the only two guys who could not improve their draft status by playing in college, because they were destined to be #1.

 

[Flauge]

Not every high school kid or one and done phenoms are top 10 picks. Some believe in their own hype...enter their name in the draft...and then either end up undrafted or taken late in the second round and out of the league after a couple of seasons

In those kid's cases if they stay in college a year or two longer and refine their game then they would be able to earn themselves a higher draft pick and thus more money. Also the big pay check isn't the first pay check it's the pay checks after that.

So true it's nice to make a couple million right off the bat as an 18 year old...but if you flounder and end up a bust you never get a chance to make 20-30 or 40-50 mil. And as an 18 year old with a couple million living the life of an nba player...you're not set for life...90 % of those kids aren't "saving their money" so by the time they're out of the league they've probably spent most of their contract money already

The only cases that absolutely has no benefit is Lebron James and Dwight Howard. Those were the only two guys who could not improve their draft status by playing in college, because they were destined to be #1.

You are just making things up and believing it. If a kid flunks out of the NBA there is no reason to believe that somehow going to college would make him a better player and more NBA ready. The NBA has the ability to train players. It happens all the time. Dorrell Wright, Jermaine Oneal, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Stephenson are all examples of guys refining those skills in the NBA. The idea that going to college for two somehow means you will stay in the league and are now NBA draft bust proof is a flat out fantasy. You also seem to think that once youre gone from the league.. you can never come back. There is no Europe to make money. There is no D-League to come back.

Is the draft the right choice for every kid? No. But I say we actually let these kids make their own career decisions like Bryce Harper was allowed to do in MLB.

 

[Flauge]

In his first two years Kobe wasn't NBA ready. Just like Kevin Garnett wasn't NBA ready.

By playing in college, these two future HOFers would have raised their value in the league. They would have signed bigger sponsorship deals and gotten more TV air time.

Are you a 17 year old with a grudge or something, Flange?

Do you just make things up and believe it? Kevin Garnett averaged 17 points 8 boards and 2 blocks a game at 19. That's not NBA ready?

Kevin Garnett was an NBA all-star in his 3rd year. He averaged 18.5/ 9.6/ 4.2ast and just under 2 blocks a game. The same year you would have him be a rookie. It seems his game got pretty refined during all those NBA games and practices. It seems his value for the league was probably much higher by the time he was 20 because he was playing in the NBA for two seasons. Unless you are now trying to say rookies commonly make the all star team.

You guys are just making things up and believing them. Refining your skills against inferior college opponents would not have helped Bryant/Garnett/Dwight/ or Lebron. Refining them against the best in the world.. all had them being all-stars by the time they 20...just when you guys want them being rookies.

 

[trojanfan12]

Do you just make things up and believe it? Kevin Garnett averaged 17 points 8 boards and 2 blocks a game at 19. That's not NBA ready?

Kevin Garnett was an NBA all-star in his 3rd year. He averaged 18.5/ 9.6/ 4.2ast and just under 2 blocks a game. The same year you would have him be a rookie. It seems his game got pretty refined during all those NBA games and practices. It seems his value for the league was probably much higher by the time he was 20 because he was playing in the NBA for two seasons. Unless you are now trying to say rookies commonly make the all star team.

You guys are just making things up and believing them. Refining your skills against inferior college opponents would not have helped Bryant/Garnett/Dwight/ or Lebron. Refining them against the best in the world.. all had them being all-stars by the time they 20...just when you guys want them being rookies.

In his first year, he only averaged 10.5/6.3/1.8, not terrible, but not necessarily "NBA ready" straight out of high school. He was the 5th overall pick. So, while he definitely improved significantly in his 2nd season, a couple of seasons of college certainly wouldn't have hurt him.

Kobe improved similarly from his 1st year to his second. A season or 2 in college would not have hurt him either. As another poster pointed out, out of the guys who came directly from high school, Lebron and Dwight were the only one's to come in and have true immediate impact and even Dwight's is somewhat questionable.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

it is clear RACISM.
Well its racism if you define the word:

Making sure young men get free college educations and 24/7 professional attention to make sure they are successful in life.
Giving young men all the support and family type environment while crafting their physical and emotional maturity.
Insisting that elite levels of education are given for free often for those who might not qualify otherwise.
Preparing men for a life long after basketball with a college degree and the networking.
Attempting to provide a safety net and insurance against poor decision-making.

Give me a break......