boutons_
06-28-2007, 09:22 AM
June 28, 2007
Op-Ed Contributor NY Times
The N.B.A.’s Dropouts
By OSCAR ROBERTSON
Cincinnati
TONIGHT will be the first National Basketball Association draft in the era of “one and done.” Draft eligibility now begins at age 19, so most high school graduates have to attend college for a year or sit out a year before turning pro. All the focus seems to be on the two most coveted former freshmen, Kevin Durant of the University of Texas and Greg Oden of Ohio State, and how the teams that draft them will fare as a result.
While Durant, Oden and several other draftees will become instant multimillionaires, rookies of any age who have both the athletic skills and the mental approach necessary to turn around a team immediately are rare. The N.B.A. wants new stars, so expectations often exceed reality. Meanwhile, other, less-heralded freshmen who have come out for the draft may not be selected by an N.B.A. team and will soon disappear from view.
“One and done” is a dramatic change from the system put in place in 1976, when the “Oscar Robertson rule” — a court settlement between the N.B.A. and its players association — removed all restrictions from the N.B.A. draft. I believe that policy should still be the case. If an 18-year-old can fight and die in the military, why can’t he pursue an N.B.A. career if he’s good enough and someone is willing to offer him a contract?
The larger issue is why anyone thought “one and done” was a good idea in the first place. It’s counterproductive for the N.B.A., which wants more mature and better-behaved players (the N.B.A.’s commissioner, David Stern, first proposed making players wait until they were age 20 or two years out of high school before they could enter the draft). Nor is it in the interest of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which wants to promote the idea of the “student athlete” and improve its graduation rates.
If the N.C.A.A. really wants bona fide student athletes, then it should allow athletes of any age to enter a professional draft without forfeiting their collegiate eligibility. Under the current policy, college players who declare themselves eligible for the N.B.A. draft can return to the N.C.A.A. only if they withdraw their names at least 10 days before the draft. In addition, college athletes can test the professional waters like this only once.
Remove the restrictions on entering the draft and two things will happen. First, a lot of teenage athletes will get a reality check as to their readiness for N.B.A. careers. Second, the N.C.A.A. and its member schools will benefit by having more players who realize that college is their better option. With luck, they will take their education more seriously. A revolving door of talented freshmen brings no growth or stability to a college’s athletic program, nor does it reinforce the “student athlete” ideal, because these “one and done” players don’t really even have to attend class in the second semester.
Under “one and done,” a few college programs may get more television exposure, and their exceptional freshmen can increase their market value. But there is already buzz about the best youngsters while they’re in high school. (Today, college coaches are seeking oral commitments to attend from potential stars who haven’t finished the eighth grade.) Will freshmen fixated on an N.B.A. career be inspired to stay in college after the mandatory one year? Will they be more mature and better-behaved once they turn pro because of a single year in college? Not likely. In all walks of life, some people mature early, and some remain jerks no matter how much education they’ve had.
Unfortunately, we place far too little value on education. As a result, too many youngsters see professional sports as their only option, instead of preparing for real life — which comes for every player, either in lieu of sports or after retirement.
For every LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, there are hundreds of other teenage athletes who have been mistakenly led to believe they’re ready for the N.B.A. Once they enter the draft and find out they’re wrong, it’s too late: they’re not allowed to attend or return to college on an athletic scholarship.
In no other line of work is someone penalized for leaving or delaying school and returning later. Besides, college coaches — who can make millions of dollars — negotiate with other colleges, or with N.B.A. teams, all the time. They don’t forfeit their employment if they decide to stay put.
Athletic scholarships should be guaranteed for four years, instead of renewable year to year by the college. College athletes should also receive a modest stipend and more realistic expense money. If athletes have to struggle to get by, of course they will want to turn pro as soon as possible. They’re also more likely to accept money from agents who want to sign them, although agents aren’t the only people who slip money to college athletes. (Signing with an agent makes players ineligible for the college game, whether or not money has changed hands — but coaches are allowed to collect fees for referring agents to players!)
The N.B.A. and the N.C.A.A. have brilliant people working in management. Certainly they can come up with a better system than “one and done” that is equitable for the colleges and the athletes, gives athletes an incentive to stay in school and reinforces the value of education.
If I were graduating from high school today, could I resist the big money and go to college instead? That’s hard to say. But I do know that I wouldn’t trade my college education for anything. It prepared me to become a better citizen and a more productive member of society. I grew as a person and made lifelong friends. I value my degree as much as any of my achievements on the basketball court.
Oscar Robertson, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and 12-time N.B.A. All-Star, is the author of “The Art of Basketball.”
Op-Ed Contributor NY Times
The N.B.A.’s Dropouts
By OSCAR ROBERTSON
Cincinnati
TONIGHT will be the first National Basketball Association draft in the era of “one and done.” Draft eligibility now begins at age 19, so most high school graduates have to attend college for a year or sit out a year before turning pro. All the focus seems to be on the two most coveted former freshmen, Kevin Durant of the University of Texas and Greg Oden of Ohio State, and how the teams that draft them will fare as a result.
While Durant, Oden and several other draftees will become instant multimillionaires, rookies of any age who have both the athletic skills and the mental approach necessary to turn around a team immediately are rare. The N.B.A. wants new stars, so expectations often exceed reality. Meanwhile, other, less-heralded freshmen who have come out for the draft may not be selected by an N.B.A. team and will soon disappear from view.
“One and done” is a dramatic change from the system put in place in 1976, when the “Oscar Robertson rule” — a court settlement between the N.B.A. and its players association — removed all restrictions from the N.B.A. draft. I believe that policy should still be the case. If an 18-year-old can fight and die in the military, why can’t he pursue an N.B.A. career if he’s good enough and someone is willing to offer him a contract?
The larger issue is why anyone thought “one and done” was a good idea in the first place. It’s counterproductive for the N.B.A., which wants more mature and better-behaved players (the N.B.A.’s commissioner, David Stern, first proposed making players wait until they were age 20 or two years out of high school before they could enter the draft). Nor is it in the interest of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which wants to promote the idea of the “student athlete” and improve its graduation rates.
If the N.C.A.A. really wants bona fide student athletes, then it should allow athletes of any age to enter a professional draft without forfeiting their collegiate eligibility. Under the current policy, college players who declare themselves eligible for the N.B.A. draft can return to the N.C.A.A. only if they withdraw their names at least 10 days before the draft. In addition, college athletes can test the professional waters like this only once.
Remove the restrictions on entering the draft and two things will happen. First, a lot of teenage athletes will get a reality check as to their readiness for N.B.A. careers. Second, the N.C.A.A. and its member schools will benefit by having more players who realize that college is their better option. With luck, they will take their education more seriously. A revolving door of talented freshmen brings no growth or stability to a college’s athletic program, nor does it reinforce the “student athlete” ideal, because these “one and done” players don’t really even have to attend class in the second semester.
Under “one and done,” a few college programs may get more television exposure, and their exceptional freshmen can increase their market value. But there is already buzz about the best youngsters while they’re in high school. (Today, college coaches are seeking oral commitments to attend from potential stars who haven’t finished the eighth grade.) Will freshmen fixated on an N.B.A. career be inspired to stay in college after the mandatory one year? Will they be more mature and better-behaved once they turn pro because of a single year in college? Not likely. In all walks of life, some people mature early, and some remain jerks no matter how much education they’ve had.
Unfortunately, we place far too little value on education. As a result, too many youngsters see professional sports as their only option, instead of preparing for real life — which comes for every player, either in lieu of sports or after retirement.
For every LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, there are hundreds of other teenage athletes who have been mistakenly led to believe they’re ready for the N.B.A. Once they enter the draft and find out they’re wrong, it’s too late: they’re not allowed to attend or return to college on an athletic scholarship.
In no other line of work is someone penalized for leaving or delaying school and returning later. Besides, college coaches — who can make millions of dollars — negotiate with other colleges, or with N.B.A. teams, all the time. They don’t forfeit their employment if they decide to stay put.
Athletic scholarships should be guaranteed for four years, instead of renewable year to year by the college. College athletes should also receive a modest stipend and more realistic expense money. If athletes have to struggle to get by, of course they will want to turn pro as soon as possible. They’re also more likely to accept money from agents who want to sign them, although agents aren’t the only people who slip money to college athletes. (Signing with an agent makes players ineligible for the college game, whether or not money has changed hands — but coaches are allowed to collect fees for referring agents to players!)
The N.B.A. and the N.C.A.A. have brilliant people working in management. Certainly they can come up with a better system than “one and done” that is equitable for the colleges and the athletes, gives athletes an incentive to stay in school and reinforces the value of education.
If I were graduating from high school today, could I resist the big money and go to college instead? That’s hard to say. But I do know that I wouldn’t trade my college education for anything. It prepared me to become a better citizen and a more productive member of society. I grew as a person and made lifelong friends. I value my degree as much as any of my achievements on the basketball court.
Oscar Robertson, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and 12-time N.B.A. All-Star, is the author of “The Art of Basketball.”