Kevin McHale 'Totally Against' NBA's 1-and-Done Rule, Wants Age Limit Raised

Kevin McHale has "Hall of Fame player," "general manager" and "successful head coach" on his resume. He carries major clout. That's why the most talented high school basketball players should fear him, and the University of Kentucky may have to alter its recruiting system. McHale wants to end one-and-done college players by raising the NBA's age limit to 21.

As McHale told USA Today's Sam Amick: 

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I'd like to see us do the three years out of high school or 21 (years old), like football. I just think it would help the colleges. I think it would help the kids...You don't make money if you have a three-year career, if you come in at 18, 19, and you're not ready...I think they'd learn leadership. I think they'd learn more responsibility.

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Beyond the importance of receiving a college education, players talented enough to make the jump to the NBA after one year could also benefit from a further basketball education at a Division I program.

Beyond a small group of exceptional players—Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, John Wall, Anthony Davis, et al.—many one-and-dones struggle with the transition to the NBA. The competition is considerably better, the players are physically stronger, and the season is longer. Raising the age limit could very well create a better product for the league.

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But for some, the decision to go pro is financially motivated, lest they sustain an injury in the sophomore campaign and torpedo their draft stock. 

As former one-and-done player and NBA journeyman Michael Beasley told Nicole Auerbach, Jeffrey Martin and Amick of USA Today: 

"I can't say I would have stayed another year. I grew up poor, dirt poor...Everybody is different. Me? If I came from a better financial situation, I could have been there two, three or four years." 

Beasley has averaged 13.5 points per game over six seasons, and he's lucky enough to be back on the Miami Heat this year.

Then again, the opinion of new league commissioner Adam Silver is far more important than what McHale thinks, what the one-and-done track record dictates or what certain players might have done differently.

McHale also pointed out that current NBA players should be all for raising the age:

"Why would a bunch of NBA players vote to say, 'Yeah, I want guys coming in to take my job?' They would say (have a minimum age of) 28 if you're an NBA player, you know what I mean?"

STEPHAN SAVOIA/Associated Press

While an age minimum of 28 would significantly strengthen the NBA D-League and international leagues, that's just ludicrous. McHale knows how to bargain, so maybe if he asks for 28, he'll get 21 as a sneaky compromise.