Stern wants NBA age limit raised to 20
ESPN.com news services
Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal said he thinks racism might have something to do with the NBA's desire to put an age limit in the next collective bargaining agreement.
"In the last two or three years, the rookie of the year has been a high school player. There were seven high school players in the All-Star Game, so why we even talking an age limit?" O'Neal said.
The past two rookies of the year were drafted out of high school: The Cavaliers' LeBron James was the 2003-04 rookie of the year, while the Suns' Amare Stoudemire won the award after the 2002-03 season.
Players currently have to be at least 18 to be drafted, but NBA commissioner David Stern would like to see the age raised to 20.
"We are seeking to raise that to 20 or two years out of high school. The NFL's minimum age is 3 years after high school. I'm optimistic the union will agree to some raise in the minimum age in the current collective bargaining," Stern said in a recent ESPN.com chat.
O'Neal doesn't agree with Stern's agenda, however.
"As a black guy, you kind of think [race is] the reason why it's coming up.
"You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. To say you have to be 20, 21 to get in the league, it's uncons utional. If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18 why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?" O'Neal said.
If the NBA had the age limit Stern is proposing in 1996, O'Neal would have had to postpone the start of his NBA career.
O'Neal went to the NBA straight out of high school in 1996 and was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers, who made him the 17th overall selection.
O'Neal didn't blossom into the star he is today until he was dealt to the Pacers during the 2000 offseason. He has made the past three Eastern Conference All-Star teams.
Yeah Jermaine, the NBA is aband of racists hating black kids.As a black guy, you kind of think [race is] the reason why it's coming up
Forget that huge brand new 100 million dollar contract you just signed.
Yeah, the NBA hates black kids, thats why you make so much money you ing ignorant .
I posted this, not really for Jermaine's comments. But perhaps to strike up discussion regarding Stern's idea of a 20-year-old age minimum. I think that most people here are against it, but I'm not sure.
What are the pros and cons?
Discuss.
well for one im really against it.
not every 18 year old can succeed like lebron has done.
what will happen to the young kids who didn't make it?
i say let them get 2 years of college because that would really help them maturity wise.
and that would push through after their basketball years
I think that the NBA should raise the age to 20. Many of the players that go directly to the NBA are throwing away a chance at a paid college education with both hands.
There is more to life than money.
In leu of a drafting age.
I would propose a minor league team for EVERY team.
So that your able to bring over euro prospects, IR fodder, and High School players.
Not totally for it, but not totally against it.
The reason he said it, I think, is because there is a lot of ambient opposition to young basketball players earning such huge salaries, in a way that doesn't poke up in other sports, perhaps because individual players don't have such a high profile as they do in the NBA, perhaps because the majority of those players are black. The opposition of some people have against the NBA, such as Rush Limbaugh, is clearly racial in nature.Yeah, the NBA hates black kids, thats why you make so much money you ing ignorant .
The thing is, raising the age limit will not prevent high schoolers from declaring for the draft. My understanding is that they would earn whatever pay-scale they'd normally get on their rookie contracts, only they'd be playing on an NBDL team instead of riding the bench on an NBA team, at least until the point they are ready.
It is too bad so many kids are discouraged from getting their college diplomas, but really, I would never, ever pass up guaranteed millions in order to go to college. That's just stupid. You can always go back and get your degree. Me, personally, I'll never see a million dollars in my life, and cannot blame these kids for making the jump. What is truly dishonest is how the NCAA uses so many kids and makes huge dollars off of them with very little in compensation. Yes, absolutely, there are programs that encourage them to get their diplomas, but otherwise so many schools have turned into basketball (or football) farms where programs and the NCAA and coaches get rich without ever being concerned about these kids' futures.
I don't think O'Neal well spoke what he meant with this statement, but he does recognize that there is a huge apparatus for making lots of money off of super-athletic, talented, predominantly black kids from wretched backgrounds. He sees the league trying to take away from these kids a means for making a living, and I agree. Though I agree with the NBDL idea, a minor league. I have no problem with high schoolers bypassing a duplicitous college system to earn money for themselves, but am very glad the league is addressing using a minor league system.
I think it's wrong to call O'Neal an idiot on this topic. It's really obnoxious. He knows far more about this subject than you ever will.
Why does everyone blame the black man?
Why isn't the same true for baseball and hockey?
I dont think this should even be an issue...O'neal is right with one aspect... "If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18 why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?"
This is a good comment... but on the other hand the country is not paying you 100 million dollars to fight the war and if the country did then everybody will be joining.
But Its much easier to join the army and go to war than to get drafted for the NBA for any age.
So I guess yes this should be an issue.
I cannot stress enough how much i agree with this.
Not only will it improve the college game which is starting to become a 3 point contest, but it will also improve the nba game...what is there to lose???
Players become rookie of the year out of high school, good for them. But what would they have done their rookie season if they spent two, (and god forbid, four) years in college? Would they be worse or better players? Would they have worse or better chances at that rookie trophy?
The only drawback is getting injured in college, and ending your career. But how often does this really happen? It's just used as an excuse to skip an education and get rich quick.
Yes these guys love basketball, but an education lasts for life too, so thats yet another reason.
Hone your skills in college, get fame in college, get girls, s om, etc, in college (everything you'd get as an nba star minus the [official] payday)
then come to the nba with a honed game, contributing much more in your first season to a team than you would have other wise (unless your name is lebron)
Why limit it to the NBA? Why not all jobs in the US?
there are age limits to all jobs in the us
Not true at all
Musicians, actors, every other entertainment job you can name have no age limit.
yeah, but the age limits are still set, taking into account certain costs and benefits.
why be 18 just to serve alcohol? the drinking age isnt 18, how does that make sense? the government just thought it was the best policy
PLEASE note: THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.Not only will it improve the college game which is starting to become a 3 point contest, but it will also improve the nba game...what is there to lose???
Read this link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...=tsn&type=lgns
In two or three years' time, there will be 15 NBDL teams, each one serving the needs for two NBA teams. Players younger than 20 MAY BE drafted, but will have to play in the NBDL until they come of age. THEY WILL NOT GO TO COLLEGE, since it appears they will be earning their rookie-base salary anyway. Not sure how this will work out, but this IS NOT a salve and tonic for the problems of NCAA basketball.
Many of the kids that are drafted straight out of high school are not ready. Plain and simple. The overall quality of play in the league by and far would increase at least fundamentally with an age limit, but only if you use the NBDL as a true minor league system where you can truly develop the kids. the former NHL and MLB have minor league systems where they can work on developing their kids. the NBA doesnt have that and needs that.
ok, so that wont happen. but the rule will still increase NBA quality, without a doubt. Look at Robert Swift. Who is robert swift?
The 18 year old red head 7 footer seattle super sonics grabbed with a draft pick. Why haven't you heard of him? Because he is in no possible way ready to play in the NBA.
Look at Darko Milicic for goodness sake.....even the blind pistons fans who insist he's going to be the with no good proof can't deny that he botches all his moves he tries in the 2-3 minutes he gets here and there. I've seen him on tv. I saw this happen.
Not every high school player is lebron.
Most of them have no business in this league. They take up bench space.
Look at Devin Brown. Surely you admit he is a really good bench player. He wasnt even drafted because scouts and media were too busy looking at people like Sebastian Telfair who are only popular because of relation to Stephon Marbury, getting an ADIDAS contract, and scoring alot of points in high school
Maybe they should put an age limit on golf and tennis etc.
I believe that the NBA needs to go through with the idea of a farm system like baseball has and add about 2 more rounds to the draft. This will allow the teams to pick players that are experienced and more capable of handling the NBA game rather than grabbing the biggest media name off the board before someone else does. I know that Drafting players isn't an exact science but the league needs to find a way to control some GM's draft day decisions. If you want a high school player than go ahead and draft him but if you feel like he's not ready then place him on the farm team until he is. If you do this I believe that the duds that some teams draft will minimize and return more favorable play within the league. Also (this may be out there) but why not incorporate college study programs into the farm league for players that did not either attend college for two years or complete college. This of course could be optional to the players but at least it gives them another avenue to attain a degree.
I also believe that colleges should start paying athletes while they are under elegibility and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA in real college courses. I'm not talking about hundred thousand dollar contracts but more like maybe $500-750 a month to allow student athletes a chance to have a little spending money during the season since they are not allowed to have jobs during that time. I know that this won't keep most of the players in school but it will allow colleges to persuade those that are not ready for the jump to stay until they at least graduate.
To be honest your never going to solve the problems that colleges and professional sports are having while large amounts of money are involved, but you can take a stab at relieving the issues with change for the better.
Well i would not agree on golf because i dont consider golf a sport.
It's a game.
I agree it will help the league. The NCAA needs to figure its own problems out. (Extend the 3-point line, whatever.)Most of them have no business in this league. They take up bench space.
The NBDL could potentially be very interesting. The Players' Union should go for it in a heartbeat, since it retains these kids' pay scales, plus it means a number of other players in salaries, as well. A big plus, all around, for players in general. The NBDL could be a training ground and heighten fundamentals. Plus, it would be a place for new coaches to ply their wares and it would mean new markets for basketball. This looks like a great idea.
That's just that writer's opinion -- and to me it's actually ideal, I said it earlier this season. But I believe that Stern's proposed age limit will not allow players under 20 to be drafted under any cir stances. So teams wouldn't be able to draft them and stash them in the NBDL. But this is one of the things they'll be talking about this summer.PLEASE note: THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
Read this link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...v=tsn&type=lgns
In two or three years' time, there will be 15 NBDL teams, each one serving the needs for two NBA teams. Players younger than 20 MAY BE drafted, but will have to play in the NBDL until they come of age.
I kinda alluded to this earlier, but i guess i'm one of the people who believe that most really good, professional-bound college athletes receive more than enough compensation than they would get not being college athletes.
Seems like everything with Jermaine leads to some sort of racism or discrimination. But anyway, in his case when he was drafted in 96 or 97 he WAS NOT ready to come in and produce in the NBA, he didn't even become a good player until 2000. I truly believe if he would of gone to college he would of developed and have been ready to come out and kick some ass in the NBA. Instead he comes in as a highschooler and sucks ass for about 3 or 4 years. But whatever, I think the NBA should have some sort of age limit, but I also believe if there is a "LEBRON JAMES" out there, then they should try him out during the summer leagues to see if he is "ALL THAT". If he does kick ass then hey welcome to the NBA, but if he doesn't then to college with your ass! Just my 2cents!
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