NCAA Amends Agent Rule After Criticism from LeBron James, Rich Paul, More

The NCAA has amended its requirements for agents following criticism from high-profile personnel across basketball.

According to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports, a bachelor's degree is no longer needed to represent players testing the waters of the NBA draft as long as the agent is certified by the NBPA and in "good standing" with the players association. 

This allows Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, who represents LeBron James among other top NBA players, to represent college players despite not having a four-year college degree.

Paul most recently worked with Darius Bazley leading up to the 2019 NBA draft. Bazley was selected in the first round.

In an op-ed posted to The Athletic, Paul wrote that he was supportive of some of the other requirements, including having three years of experience with the NBPA as well as passing an NCAA qualification exam. However, he was clearly upset about the bachelor's degree rule.

"Requiring a four-year degree accomplishes only one thing—systematically excluding those who come from a world where college is unrealistic," Paul wrote. "Does anyone really believe a four-year degree is what separates an ethical person from a con artist?"

James also defended his agent in criticizing the rule:

With the amendment, the NCAA has opened the door for more aspiring agents.