The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

Duane, are there any studies on how this increase in tv watching has affected the japenese kids?

In a way I can kinda of see how O’neal might think this even though he is wrong. When you look at the fact that when the james kid was coming out of high school a big deal was being made about his lack of preparation and his youth. But at the same time Darko Milicic was allowed to be drafted as a 17 year old. I think raising the age limit will only help in saving the league some money on big contracts.

i totally diagree. i see no reason to raise the age. No reason at all.

If the NBA does not know how to develop players, that is their problem. But to limit a person’s financial opportunities in ONE sport. Thats silly.

I appreciate his sentiment. No, he wasn’t on point with his commentary. But at least he’s opening his mouth – when most of these kids – and older players, always shut up as long as the rich dude in the suit is signing the checks.

I appreciate that he – having nothing to lose – opened his mouth and pointed out that this talk of a age limit is really just a way to save college basketball and continue the status quo. I think the college game helps tons of them and allows them opportunities others wish they had, but that doesn’t mean that it’s for everyone or always does them a service – I mean, Allen Iverson went to Georgetown for goodness sakes.

Obviously, the age limit issue is not a constitutional item (airline pilots, for example have an age limit).

However, as the other posters pointed out, the age limit is the bone tossed to college recruiters by the NBA. His argument could be better expressed, ‘Baseball doesn’t have these age limits. Why basketball?’ And for anyone to state a college degree for a basketball player helps them if they don’t make it in the NBA, please investigate the ones who don’t make the NBA. You won’t find them on Wall Street. Their ‘education’ is less than most college graduates and many end up back in the ghetto where they started.

Some schools (like Georgetown) are the exception. Many other schools use the players as props for coporate endorsements and symbols for alumni fundraising.

The reason that the NBA is fighting for this is not to benefit anyone else but themselves. It is mainly to up the bottom line. This is not a bad thing, I recruit only the best and the brightest for my company for this very reason. I have found that my profit margin is directly effected by the people that I have on staff.

Make no mistake about this there is no conspiracy with the NBA & NCAA, the NBA wants a better product and developed college graduated players gives them a better chance at getting this and not the watered down talent that has been produced in the last 5 yrs. Baseball does not have this restriction because there is a system in place for development (that is a rev generator). I will not sit here and tell you that it is about education because it is not.

I think this is just a classic case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” for organizationsts like the NBA. For years, negroes holla’d about the NBA getting these kids too young. Now, the general complaint is the opposite.

True, the NBA and NCAA pimp these guys for all they can get, but where are the role-models to steer these guys in the right direction?

Business is business

Role-models for an 18 years old won’t be some twenty-something college graduate unless he’s flashing some cash. The problem with most of these kids is that role-models weren’t provided at a earlier age and high schools treat them as some celeb. If you’re good enough to get a college basketball scholarship, you’ve probably had special treatment prior to college and discovered and been told basketball is the ticket.

Few people (even BB players) don’t go to school for an good education but as a ticket to getting a good paying job. That’s the reason for many people majoring in engineering, computer science and going to Business school.