Nba Draft

Picture this scenario. Imagine NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Tracy McGrady, and Kevin Garnett, all people who were drafted out of high school, being forced to go to college before they made the NBA. What if they had a horrible college career or were badly injured? Teams wouldn't want to draft them anymore and therefore would not have made the NBA. They would not have had the impact on any of us that they do right now. This could all be done if an age limit was established in the NBA draft. It would force high school prodigies to go to college for two years before being eligible to enter the draft. The age limit is anticipated to be 20 years and older or two years since the player's class graduated high school Ð'- whichever comes first. Some of the budding stars out there would have to put their careers on hold for a few years. As a basketball fan, I would not like to see an age limit for the NBA. Keeping the youth out will only hurt the NBA and certainly will not help it.

There are many people who think an age limit is right for the game. One firm believer is David Stern, the Commissioner of the NBA. He feels that the NBA would benefit overall from high school kids going to college before entering the NBA. According to Brendan McGovern, Stern believes requiring a player to turn twenty before allowing them in the NBA would expose them to a future outside of basketball, let them mature mentally and physically before being thrust into a lifestyle beset with pitfalls and give NBA teams more time and a better platform to scout the true potential of players. Many feel that high schoolers just aren't fundamentally ready to enter the draft and should go to college to hone their skills. Forcing players to go to college will greatly enhance the collegiate game. It's true that kids will develop and mature as players if they go to college. By making an age limit, "Teams will be forced to draft skilled and accomplished players. College basketball will have better talent and the NBA will be a more refined product." (McGovern) This is true that the age limit will benefit both the college and professional levels. On the other hand, if a high school player is talented enough to make an impact at the professional level, then why keep him from doing so? With so many high schoolers entering the draft there are many that are bound to fail. Two of these players are Korleone Youngs and Taj McDavids. These are kids who "reached for the NBA when it wasn't ready to receive them." (O'Connor) Then again, there are many players that have had a great college career, but did not perform well in the NBA. Although these are credible arguments, I don't agree with any of them.

The other side to this argument, which I entirely agree on, is that the draft limit shouldn't be established. The age limit will not only prevent a player from earning millions in the NBA, but will also delay that time to obtain an income. "By taking away two years of potential earnings, an age limit imposes a glass ceiling on a player's ability to earn." (McGovern) Why hold back the opportunity for a player to earn money that will change his life forever? A player can use that money to support his family, but will have to wait two years to get it. Many of the kids that made the jump from high school to the NBA have had a tremendous impact on the game of basketball. In the last two or three years, the rookie of the year has been a high school player. There were even seven high school players in the 2005 All-Star game. (O'Neal) The MVP of last year also came out of school. Last year, eight high school seniors were among the first 19 picks, including overall No. 1 choice Dwight Howard. These eight high school seniors were chosen before the college player of the year, Jameer Nelson, who went at No. 20. (Sheridan and O'Connor) Not only did high schoolers just make it to the NBA, some of them actually became all-stars. It just goes to show that they can rise to the occasion and compete with the best that's out there.

Setting an age limit is like someone taking away your dreams. "Nobody should have the authority to tell a high

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