Kobe Bryant: College hoops 'really isn't teaching players anything'

[TrollyMcTroller]

The NBA really isn't that much different from the rest of the jobs in America.

Contrary to what's been pounded into your skull since you were 6 years old, the vast majority of "good" jobs really don't need a college degree in the traditional sense. Doctor? Yep. Lawyer? Yep. Engineer? Yep. Academia? Yep. And that's about it. Most other jobs can be learned through OJT, or from a trade school. This myth that getting a liberal arts degree, will somehow make you a top candidate for a job simply doesn't pass muster. College is a 4 (okay... 4 to 7) year detour, that creates the illusion of having improved your skill set, but really all it's done for a lot of people is fulfill the biggest unspoken requirement of any job. "We don't want to hire an 18 year old to do anything that involves more responsibility than swiping a customer's credit card through the cash register." Basically, after college, you're older and more mature than you were after high school. That is ultimately what makes you more employable. And college basketball is not really that much different. From the players perspective, they'd get just as much benefit from going to a trade school (aka the NBA D-League, or FC Barcelona) as they would from going to college. I'd guess for about 80% of the people that are working on their undergrad degree right now, it's just a huge waste of money. (but damn, it sure is fun isn't it?)

That being said, I think most players that stick around and play in college for 3 or 4 years, are much more polished and likely to make an immediate impact in the NBA, but I'm not about to tell some kid who grew up in the projects that he should wait a few extra years, and risk getting injured, before going after that 7 figure paycheck because he's 15' jumper still needs a little work. If you can go get paid, more power to ya.

 

[john01992]

Last I checked college is about getting a degree, even for the student athletes why anyone (i am looking at you trolly) wants to use this thread to go on a rant about why we don't need college is beyond me.

Even though we all know where wiggins is going to be next year, his reason for being at KU (through the eyes of the University) is to get a degree, not advance his basketball skills. It is just his choice to decide when to leave for the NBA.

 

[Runeman]

There are good shooters, but have you watched the heat play? Lebron and Wade are NOT great shooters and have made a living drawing the foul.

I watch the heat a lot and both Wade and Lebron shoot just fine. Lebron has one of the highest shooting percentages in the NBA so I'm not sure which Lebron you are watching. Also there is so much more to the game than shooting the ball. Both Lebron and Wade are great at defense and their transition game is, IMO, the absolute best in the NBA. Wade has been out for several games this year and when he is out, the other team scores 5.2 points more than when he is playing. As far as drawing fouls is concerned, the other teams foul them because they drive the lane a lot. They have no choice or they will be giving up a lot of points. Lebron is unstoppable when he drives the lane and they have to foul him or he would simply dunk over any forward in the game. You and I are watching different games. To think college players are better than pros in any aspect of the game is something you will get very little support from people who watch both. I watch the Gators and Syracuse a lot and feel from both of those teams, maybe 3 players will become quality pros: Fair, Ennis and Praither. The rest better make sure they graduate.

 

[Brahmsian]

Maybe a modification of the D-League set-up, making it more like baseball's minor leagues would help.

The current arrangement forcing people to pretend they're amateurs when they are not is no good at all.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

Last I checked college is about getting a degree, even for the student athletes why anyone (i am looking at you trolly) wants to use this thread to go on a rant about why we don't need college is beyond me.

Not surprising. Simple arithmetic is beyond you, too.

The purpose of colleges varies, depending on the type of institution, (liberal arts, research, etc) but none of them are simply about pumping out degrees, so you may want to check again.

The reason most of your generation thinks they need a college degree is because the Baby Boomers (that's your mommy and daddy... or your mommy and the mailman) pounded in to your brain from an early age that it was a necessity. In your case, they probably just insisted so they could ship you off a few time zones away.

The point is, that many of the arguments about why college athletes need to stay in school are not only invalid for them, they're invild for the majority of non athletes as well.

 

[The Derski]

I think it depends on the program you attend. You can't tell me players like Nick Johnson and CJ Fair haven't learned anything.

 

[john01992]

Not surprising. Simple arithmetic is beyond you, too.

The purpose of colleges varies, depending on the type of institution, (liberal arts, research, etc) but none of them are simply about pumping out degrees, so you may want to check again.

The reason most of your generation thinks they need a college degree is because the Baby Boomers (that's your mommy and daddy... or your mommy and the mailman) pounded in to your brain from an early age that it was a necessity. In your case, they probably just insisted so they could ship you off a few time zones away.

The point is, that many of the arguments about why college athletes need to stay in school are not only invalid for them, they're invild for the majority of non athletes as well.

I am assuming you never went to college

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

I am assuming you never went to college

You assume wrong.

Quick show of hands... who's surprised that slapdick is wrong? Anyone? Anyone?

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

I think it depends on the program you attend. You can't tell me players like Nick Johnson and CJ Fair haven't learned anything.

Did they learn anything they couldn't have learned in the D-League or playing in Europe?

 

[john01992]

You assume wrong.

Quick show of hands... who's surprised that slapdick is wrong? Anyone? Anyone?

ok then genius........

where did you go

kinda hard to say I am wrong in my assumptions when you
1) refuse to acknowledge what team you root for
2) seem awfully quick to bash the importance of college

 

[The Derski]

Did they learn anything they couldn't have learned in the D-League or playing in Europe?

Yeah. Beer Pong and keg stands.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

ok then genius........

where did you go

kinda hard to say I am wrong in my assumptions when you
1) refuse to acknowledge what team you root for
2) seem awfully quick to bash the importance of college

1) I did, when you asked me the first time.
2) My having attended college is immaterial. I'm not going to defend it just because I did it. That would be an asshat move that you would do. I'm secure enough with my place in life that I don't need to try and rationalize everything I've done. I got to where I am based on plenty of hard work mixed in with a little bit of luck. At no point has my degree had any factor on my employment.

So yeah, you're wrong.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

Yeah. Beer Pong and keg stands.

Touché

 

[Midwest2k]

1) I did, when you asked me the first time.
2) My having attended college is immaterial. I'm not going to defend it just because I did it. That would be an asshat move that you would do. I'm secure enough with my place in life that I don't need to try and rationalize everything I've done. I got to where I am based on plenty of hard work mixed in with a little bit of luck. At no point has my degree had any factor on my employment.

So yeah, you're wrong.

I get the feeling that the trollymctroller name has escaped john. Free pass back to the unobvious

 

[gpm1976]

I watch the heat a lot and both Wade and Lebron shoot just fine. Lebron has one of the highest shooting percentages in the NBA so I'm not sure which Lebron you are watching. Also there is so much more to the game than shooting the ball. Both Lebron and Wade are great at defense and their transition game is, IMO, the absolute best in the NBA. Wade has been out for several games this year and when he is out, the other team scores 5.2 points more than when he is playing. As far as drawing fouls is concerned, the other teams foul them because they drive the lane a lot. They have no choice or they will be giving up a lot of points. Lebron is unstoppable when he drives the lane and they have to foul him or he would simply dunk over any forward in the game. You and I are watching different games. To think college players are better than pros in any aspect of the game is something you will get very little support from people who watch both. I watch the Gators and Syracuse a lot and feel from both of those teams, maybe 3 players will become quality pros: Fair, Ennis and Praither. The rest better make sure they graduate.

let's not forget that Lebron had to put an all-star cast of players around him before he could open up some shooting. Now that Miami looks to be losing some of its talent, Lebron is probably hitting the road. He's no M. Jordan when it comes to shooting.. let's keep that in mind.

 

[gpm1976]

Not surprising. Simple arithmetic is beyond you, too.

The purpose of colleges varies, depending on the type of institution, (liberal arts, research, etc) but none of them are simply about pumping out degrees, so you may want to check again.

The reason most of your generation thinks they need a college degree is because the Baby Boomers (that's your mommy and daddy... or your mommy and the mailman) pounded in to your brain from an early age that it was a necessity. In your case, they probably just insisted so they could ship you off a few time zones away.

The point is, that many of the arguments about why college athletes need to stay in school are not only invalid for them, they're invild for the majority of non athletes as well.

You are SOOO correct!! I have more secondary education than one person needs, and if I could do it over again I'd NEVER waste my time w/college!

 

[Clayton]

Lebron and Wade are NOT great shooters and have made a living drawing the foul.

Lebron has evolved into a great shooter.

 

[gordontrue]

Lebron has evolved into a great shooter.

He certainly has. Over the last 2.5 seasons, LeBron has had one of the best effective shooting stretches of all time.

 

[gpm1976]

Lebron has evolved into a great shooter.

yes, and he only had to assemble an all-star team to get it done.

 

[Runeman]

1) I did, when you asked me the first time.
2) My having attended college is immaterial. I'm not going to defend it just because I did it. That would be an asshat move that you would do. I'm secure enough with my place in life that I don't need to try and rationalize everything I've done. I got to where I am based on plenty of hard work mixed in with a little bit of luck. At no point has my degree had any factor on my employment.

So yeah, you're wrong.

College is a good thing for most, however to dog someone for not attending is a bit short sighted. Some of the dumb asses who did not graduate are Bill Lear(8th grade), Arthur Jones(9th grade) Soichiro Honda(8th grade), Steve Jobs(Reed College, less than 1 semester), Bill Gates(Harvard-1 semester), Tom Monaghan ( 12th grade), Ted Turner(Kicked out of Brown senior yr) I know lots of folks who have zero college who are very successful and very bright