Let Them Play: NBA Age Limit Punishes Players and Fans
In the United States, we're big fans of age limits. We love to slap an age on something and say this is when you're capable of doing this. Age requirements are attached to voting, smoking, consuming alcohol and even watching R-rated movies.
However, there is one age limit I'd like to address; the age limit to play in the NBA and the NFL. Particularly, I'm interested in the NBA's age limit as it is still rather new and still rather dumb. With the draft just around the corner, and news sources everywhere seemingly lamenting the death of the talent in this draft, it led me to ask a question.
Why not let them play?
They're 18, sure, but is 19 really that much of a difference? I know that I didn't change much from freshman to sophomore year of college.
Many high school prospects have the physical tools to succeed in professional basketball. The NBA is essentially saying they don't have the mental tools, and instead of grooming them within the league, they are passing the buck to colleges across America.
At the same time, they are cheapening the term "student athlete". You think Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose were that concerned with going to class last year? Hell, Rose apparently couldn't even be bothered to take his own SATs. I doubt he was waking up at 10 a.m. to make it to his underwater basket weaving class.
Give these college scholarships to guys that deserve them. Give them to guys that have busted their butts and actually want to play college basketball. If guys want to get paid for playing basketball, let them.
After all, this is America. This is the land of opportunity and milk and honey and all that jazz. These guys don't want to be in college; they don't relish the opportunity to win a championship for their school. If they did, they would be going to play there regardless of the NBA's age limit.
Instead, they consume scholarships that could have gone to a productive four-year college player; a guy that actually wanted to be there. Don't get me wrong, these guys are fun as hell to watch in college while it lasts and they're happy. (I'm looking at you, Eric Gordon.) However, they simply don't want to be there.
No matter what they say, all of these prospective lottery picks are just counting down the days until they can sign with an agent and get paid. I don't blame them; I would want to maximize my skills as well. It's not their fault the system (read as: David Stern) stupidly pigeon holes them into a place they never wanted to be.
So why does Stern do this? Is it that high schoolers never achieve their true potential in the NBA?
I'd have to say a big freakin' no to that one. Consider this: in the past two years alone, the regular season MVP was won by two high schoolers-turned-pro (Kobe Bryant and LeBron James). Kobe went on to win the Finals MVP this year.
The cornerstone of the Orlando Magic franchise, who played the Lakers in the Finals, is another high schooler-turned-pro, Dwight Howard. The three biggest faces in the NBA (Bryant, James, and Howard) all entered the league as baby-faced, 18-year-olds.
The list, however, goes on. Kevin Garnett was 18 and scrawny when he first entered the league. Former All-Stars like Jermaine O'Neal and Tracy McGrady also come to mind.
Now, I am aware that for every one of these stars there are five high schoolers that are working at McDonald's by the end of their first contract, but is the rate of success from college players that much higher?
I don't have the stats to back myself up, but the math alone seems to suggest that it would be nearly impossible for the success rate of college players to be that much better than the success rate of high school players, particularly, if we compare players that are one-and-done to players that are coming straight out of high school.
I believe this rule should be lifted by the NBA, and if a team falls in love with someone's potential and loses big, then so be it. That is their own responsibility.
These guys shouldn't be forced to put on a charade of actually caring about their college for a year, and we, as fans, shouldn't be forced to sit through it. Some of the teams in the NBA have scouts that would fall in love with any high schooler that is 6'10" and has a jump shot.
Hold those that fail accountable, but don't punish the guys that could succeed.
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