Age limit for the NBA

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:21 pm

In a boon to the major college basketball programs , it appears in the new NBA / players
agreement a minimum age requirement of 20 years old will be passed. What this means
is the big basketball studs in the 2005-06 highschool class will have to go to college for a
min. two years, before they jump to the NBA. The North Carolina's and Dukes of the
world should benefit greatly from this as well as College basketball in general, but is it
fair to deny the next LaBron James the opportunity to make the jump right out of school?

Post by **rtb** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:49 pm

Amen! I like college basketball so much more than the NBA and it would be great to see these kids give it a shot in college for at least two years. Lebron is the exception, not the rule. There are way too many kids jumping from high school to the NBA that never hit their full potential. Watching the draft you don't know 99% of the players because they are from overseas or high school. I think this rule can do nothing put help basketball!!

Cat Grad · Post by **Cat Grad** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:54 pm

Just a question. What will it do to the mid-majors that are able to keep a team together for four years in comparison to the "big time" programs that see the McDonald All-American type come and play for a year or two and then bail?

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:05 pm

Cat Grad wrote:Just a question. What will it do to the mid-majors that are able to keep a team together for four years in comparison to the "big time" programs that see the McDonald All-American type come and play for a year or two and then bail?

Not to mention the new NCAA regulations, where you have to have a certain ATR or whatever it is.

CatfaninGA · Post by **CatfaninGA** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 9:17 pm

The NBA is still around? I thought they quit like hockey did.

BobcatLionFan · Post by **BobcatLionFan** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 12:56 pm

rtb wrote:Amen! I like college basketball so much more than the NBA and it would be great to see these kids give it a shot in college for at least two years. Lebron is the exception, not the rule. There are way too many kids jumping from high school to the NBA that never hit their full potential. Watching the draft you don't know 99% of the players because they are from overseas or high school. I think this rule can do nothing put help basketball!!

The problem is most of the players that jump out of High School directly either are VERY good (Bryant, LaBron) or they can not make the entry into college (grades/SAT) which is sorry to say but true. This will cause some law suits obviously, but Football just went through that with Clarret and Williams from USC. So maybe it will pass.

This will not solve the McDonald kids from playing two years and then on to the pros. The only one I can see it changes is Carmello's entry would have been delayed by one year.

Still wonder what will happen to the kids that can't make the entry (some kids just will not be able to get into college, they are just athelites). These will probably go to Europe and play (or the CBA) then go pro?

grizbeer · Post by **grizbeer** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:45 pm

My personal opinion is that the NBA age limit shuold be equal to the age at which a person has full rights as an adult (drinking, drivers license, etc). Currently that age is 21, but I expect over the next 10 years it will go up to 25.

I would also expect to see the NBA develop a "junior" feeder league like minor league basball in the next couple of years, and kids under 20 will be able to play in this league. The NCAA makes too much money off of basketball for the NBA not to try to get their hands on it.

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:54 pm

Then they should change the draft age accordingly. I thought it was awful when I was 18 the government could give me a license to kill, but I wasn't allowed to drink.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:02 pm

CelticCat wrote:Then they should change the draft age accordingly. I thought it was awful when I was 18 the government could give me a license to kill, but I wasn't allowed to drink.

People between the age of 18 to 21 are screwed! When it come to privileges, of being an
adult they are denied, but they are still held accountable for all of the responsibilities of
being an adult. If a 19 year old is too irresponsible to be allowed to drink, then how are
they responsible enough to hold a M-16 or fly a stealth bomber!? Furthermore the same
arguments that are used to deny them these privileges could equally be applied to many
senior citizens. Anyone one want to apply a maximum drinking age!?

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:31 pm

I'm fairly certain you need a college degree to fly a stealth bomber so not many 18 year olds fit in that catagory.

grizbeer · Post by **grizbeer** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:51 pm

Looks like I might have hijacked the thread, sorry mslacat.

Actually I fully support lowering the drinking age to 18. Maybe start with "provisional" licenses for those 18 - 21, you have to take an 8 hour alcohol awareness class before you get your license, and your license is revoked if you get a DUI or other crime involving alcohol. Get the liquor industry to pay for the class for in-state kids, and charge a fee to out of state kids to pay for the lost highway money.

I know I'm dreaming, but that is what I would like to see. Instead I think we will see a couple states start moving towards a drinking age of 25, and in 10 years you will have to raise your drinking age to 25 to keep your highway money.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:59 pm

grizbeer wrote:My personal opinion is that the NBA age limit shuold be equal to the age at which a person has full rights as an adult (drinking, drivers license, etc). Currently that age is 21, but I expect over the next 10 years it will go up to 25.

I would also expect to see the NBA develop a "junior" feeder league like minor league basball in the next couple of years, and kids under 20 will be able to play in this league. The NCAA makes too much money off of basketball for the NBA not to try to get their hands on it.

You think the drinking age will go up? You're going to give my Libertarian heart a coronary. The age of a legal adult is 18 in terms of entering into legally binding contracts (another example of why a 21 year old drinking age is kind of silly -- you can run GM, but you can't drink legally when you are 18 ).

I personally think that a person should be able to take a job that they are qualified for (and if they are drafted, they are apparently qualified). Playing NBA basketball has nothing to do with college -- all this will do is force a bunch of guys who aren't interested in going to college to pretend to do so... and then the schools are more incented to cover their tracks.

Tennis players, golfers, gymnasts, software engineers... all of them can work professionally much younger than 18. I don't like the idea of any Sherman Act exempt entity (legal monopolies) putting artificial rules like this on who can and can't work in their business.

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 3:07 pm

Rich White men don't like paying millions of dollars to Black teenagers that might not return the investment. (Ok the NBA has a few Rich Black men owning teams....but they don't like paying millions to teenagers that might not return the investment either)

Hell's Bells · Post by **Hell's Bells** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 12:15 am

i dont think that 20 years old is far enough. Often enough with big paying jobs, you are required to have at least a college degree to get the job. personally the sad story of athletics is that they have no idea how to handle all of the "sudden money" they get, it will help if it was required that they have a college degree before they enter any professional sports, or be at or above age 23. in my wise old age of 26 i have found that it is very rare that somebody that is even 20 knows what the hell to do with millions of dollars

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:57 am

Hell's Bells wrote:i dont think that 20 years old is far enough. Often enough with big paying jobs, you are required to have at least a college degree to get the job. personally the sad story of athletics is that they have no idea how to handle all of the "sudden money" they get, it will help if it was required that they have a college degree before they enter any professional sports, or be at or above age 23. in my wise old age of 26 i have found that it is very rare that somebody that is even 20 knows what the hell to do with millions of dollars

I'd tell you what I'd do man. Two chicks at the same time man.

Sorry, Office Space quote.