Judging the NBA Age Rule
Age Rule Justified? Age rules are being implemented into different areas in our everyday life. There are age limits for just about everything. Clubs, movie theatres, theme park attractions, driving, drinking alcohol, and buying cigarettes all require one to meet a certain age requirement. Most age requirements exist to benefit or protect an individual. However, the questions surface when an age requirement neither benefits nor protects an individual. Unfortunately there are times when an age rule can be harmful to the parties involved.
The National Basketball Association has always been a successful sports organization. David Stern the commissioner of the NBA has been looked at with respect for his hard work in helping to create the most accredited basketball league in the world. However with the headlines addressing hopeful future NBA players many have questioned Stern about his decision making. It’s only been a few years since Stern changed the guidelines for high-school players trying to enter the NBA. A new rule was created that required players to be 19 and at least one full year removed from high school in order to be eligible for the draft.
Since the beginning of the NBA until now high school basketball players were allowed to make the jump straight into the league. Examples of all-star caliber players that did make the jump include Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, and Kobe Bryant. The age requirement was enforced with good intentions, to make players better. Since most graduates are 18 they end up playing basketball in college for one full year. At 19 the best players are then eligible to enter the NBA draft. There are both pluses and minuses to the NBA age rule and fans of the sport share differing views also.
NBA fan Josh Sanchez doesn’t like the age requirement for the NBA. He said “I think if you have the ability to play on the NBA level no one should stop you. Stern doesn’t have the right to put the stop-gap of college in their way before they enter the NBA. Most of the kids that enter the draft after their freshman year are those who had the talent to go straight to the NBA anyway.”
DeQuan Johnson, also another NBA fan shared a similar viewpoint that Stern’s rule is unnecessary. He said “The rule doesn’t make sense to me. If these players have NBA talent what’s the point of going to college? There are kids that come from situations where they can really use the money. Stern is just taking a year of that money out of their pockets.”
There are many people that feel like Sanchez and Johnson. These individuals support the idea of high-school players entering the NBA for reasons like money, and opportunity. On the flip side of the coin however there are many supporters of Stern’s rule. These individuals see the advantages of having players going to college for several reasons.
NBA fan Chris Gonzalez defends the rule and feels like it helps prune out the pretenders from the actual NBA talent. He said “Even though they may seem to have NBA talent in high school it doesn’t always translate. There are many busts that were supposed to be the next best thing in the NBA that aren’t good. Sebastian Telfair is a prime example of a player who everyone thought was going to be an all-star caliber point guard in the league who now is just a back-up.”
Another NBA fan Tom Hughes agrees with Stern. He said “Players that play at least one year in college are better prepared for the NBA. College level basketball can help players develop there skills from some great coaches, and get them used to playing in front of huge crowds.”
College basketball and the NBA will be forever changed because of Stern’s recent age requirement rule. High school players have to get used to the fact of having to go to college because the days of 18 year old NBA players are long gone. The subject is still controversial and maybe in the future Stern will have a change of heart. College basketball fans can rejoice because they get to see some of the NBA’s future stars, and not miss out on players like Bryant and Lebron anymore.
