The coming and going of players is normal these days. It is socially acceptable for high school athletes to go to college for one year, then think it is all about the money, and jump right to the NBA where millions of dollars are handed to a 18-year-old kid. Hence, his being a kid.
Most parents these days can't trust kids with $20 these days because most insist on drinking, drugs, or other illegal activities that will hurt an athlete in the future.
It used to be worse when kids wouldn’t even get one year of college. Where one minute you’re under the supervision of your mom and dad and high school, and the next minute you’re under the bright lights, living as an independent 18-year-old.
Who knows what goes on in the houses of some of these NBA players? I just wish David Stern would wake up and smell the coffee.
The NBA front office should get out their pen and paper when it comes to their age limit. The NFL makes high school athletes pick a college, and make that there home for the next two years, and usually three or four years.
The NFL system is working. Kids are getting an education and realizing that college is helping them in the real world. Kids these days just cannot be trusted in the real world. I think the most stressful job in America is that of a division one college basketball coach.
Rewind 20 years. You sign a top-50 recruit and you knew he was going to be there for the next two to four years because education was just the same as fame and money. Kids loved college. They loved winning and bringing tradition to their school.
Just imagine if kids had left after their first year when college basketball started. Basketball schools like Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, and North Carolina would have no tradition, they wouldn’t have recognized players. Everyone would be noticed as the person who left after one year of college.
Why must professional athletes insist on being horrible role models for these kids? WHY? I understand if $25 million came knocking it would be hard to resist. But to come back and enjoy the college life and college campus for three more years would be a dream come true.
Kids across America should be honored to represent a top notch school. Sadly, it’s a nightmare for kids. Most of them don’t know any better. Some were raised in families that didn’t have a lot of money, so when millions of dollars are offered, it's hard not to take it.
I respect Division two and three players. They play not because they are talented. Don’t get me wrong, most, if not all have talent. But not the talent that D-1 players are handed.
Division two and three players play because they love the game of basketball—they don’t play for the fame. They don’t get articles written about them or have interviews after the game. They play because when they step on the court, they know they are representing the game of basketball in every way.
The same with Division two and three coaches. They coach because they love it. They don’t get the OJ Mayos or Derrick Roses of today, they just get kids who want to learn and want to get better each and every day.
So David Stern, make something of this league. Make kids go to college for two years and preferably three years. Make kids get better on the court and off the court.
It's not just a basketball league anymore, it’s a respect league, and not too many 18-year-olds are going to make the right decision with $2 million in their hands.
9 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete