NBAPA Lawyer: Double standard exists regarding age limit for black basketball players and white athletes in other sports

Rupert Murdoch · Post #1 » by **Rupert Murdoch** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 1:52 am

An attorney for the union representing NBA players strongly indicated Thursday that the association will want players to again have the age limit for go pro lowered in the next round of collective bargaining.

National Basketball Players Association general counsel Gary Kohlman said ''quite likely the union will be taking a radically different position'' than the NBA on the age issue, which will almost certainly be a contentious point between the sides when they sit down in the future.

''If they were white and hockey players they would be out there playing. If they were white and baseball players they would be out there playing,'' Kohlman said. ''Because most of them are actually African-American and are in a sport and precluded from doing it, they have to go into this absurd world of playing for one year.

''That's just total complete hypocrisy.''

Kohlman added that union head Michele Roberts ''believes in capitalism,'' and he essentially asked why talented young athletes and talented young entertainers aren't both able to maximize their financial potential.

''Capitalism means that if you're 17, 18 years old and you're a geek and you want to drop out of college and invent Apple or something else, you can do it,'' Kohlman said. ''In this country you can do that. And there's nothing stopping you from doing it. If you're an unbelievable blues singer at 17, 18, 19 years old, you can go out and make a fortune.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nbpa-attorney-union-anticipates-clash-age-limit-203001995--nba.html

I agree with Mr. Kohlman. The NBA age limit is inherently racist. You can even point to other sports like tennis and golf where there are teenagers playing on the professional tour and nobody bats an eye. But when talented black athletes want to turn pro after graduating from high school in basketball, everybody goes nuts. The age limit is completely ludicrous.

brutalitops · Post #2 » by **brutalitops** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 1:57 am

I don't know where to begin.

JF5 · Post #3 » by **JF5** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 1:58 am

Baseball players can get drafted, but that doesn't necessarily mean they go right out and play for their teams. They spend a couple of years in the minors before they even touch an MLB stadium. And the NHL itself has debated to have the age limit at 20 themselves...

Using the Race Card doesn't work here...

Bergmaniac · Post #4 » by **Bergmaniac** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 1:58 am

You do realise there are black hockey and baseball players and white basketball players, right? This has nothing to do with race.

LloydFree · Post #5 » by **LloydFree** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:01 am

Minorities being exploited for others' profit. What else is new?

Post #6 » by **TyCobb** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:02 am

Get a minor league system for the NBA.

xBulletproof · Post #7 » by **xBulletproof** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:06 am

Tennis players reach their peak at like 24 years old. Its different. Hockey and baseball have minor league systems. You're not stepping in at the highest level immediately very often, unless you're really ready for it.

This is just trying too hard to find a race issue.

Def Leppard · Post #8 » by **Def Leppard** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:07 am

Bergmaniac wrote:You do realise there are black hockey and baseball players and white basketball players, right? This has nothing to do with race.

its smart, using an argument like that will cause the NBA to tread lightly... Good tactic

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cold_cowboy · Post #9 » by **cold_cowboy** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:16 am

this is what you people wanted.

LameR · Post #10 » by **LameR** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:17 am

Football?

Bill Bradley · Post #11 » by **Bill Bradley** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:23 am

Of course you will get the standard ignorant white guy response that it has nothing to do with race. When you're white, it's a lot easier to not see race. But this is clearly a racist policy- one that disproportionately affects black athletes and lines the NCAA's pockets.

Post #12 » by **TyCobb** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:24 am

Bill Bradley wrote:Of course you will get the standard ignorant white guy response that it has nothing to do with race. When you're white, it's a lot easier to not see race. But this is clearly a racist policy- one that disproportionately affects black athletes and lines the NCAA's pockets.

Yeah, who wants a free education?

cbk41 · Post #13 » by **cbk41** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:25 am

How many times have we seen young men whose bodies weren't conditioned for the NBA( or even close to being done growing) get hurt while trying to compete in the NBA and deal with it's rigors?

This is about extending the life of the average NBA contract in the future. While they should be allowed to make as much money as they physically can, they are banking on the rewards outweighing the risks. The agents make more money and get more access the clients, but some of these kids aren't physically prepared.

Bill Bradley · Post #14 » by **Bill Bradley** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:28 am

TyCobb wrote:
Bill Bradley wrote:Of course you will get the standard ignorant white guy response that it has nothing to do with race. When you're white, it's a lot easier to not see race. But this is clearly a racist policy- one that disproportionately affects black athletes and lines the NCAA's pockets.

Yeah, who wants a free education?

Not everyone, especially one who risks his health and millions of dollars by doing so.

FirstInkTDot · Post #15 » by **FirstInkTDot** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:30 am

TyCobb wrote:
Bill Bradley wrote:Of course you will get the standard ignorant white guy response that it has nothing to do with race. When you're white, it's a lot easier to not see race. But this is clearly a racist policy- one that disproportionately affects black athletes and lines the NCAA's pockets.

Yeah, who wants a free education?

How does this give them a free education? Most of them only go because of the NBA Rules, otherwise they'd just skip that and enter the draft immediately. Besides **** the NCAA, they are right next to FIFA in terms of scums.

Lionlifer · Post #16 » by **Lionlifer** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:31 am

Why wasn't football mentioned?

Oh, I know why, cause there are black, white, Hispanic players, and an age limit. Gotta fit that racist narrative though

Post #17 » by **TyCobb** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:31 am

Bill Bradley wrote:
TyCobb wrote:
Bill Bradley wrote:Of course you will get the standard ignorant white guy response that it has nothing to do with race. When you're white, it's a lot easier to not see race. But this is clearly a racist policy- one that disproportionately affects black athletes and lines the NCAA's pockets.

Yeah, who wants a free education?

Not everyone, especially one who risks his health and millions of dollars by doing so.

They can play overseas if they don't care about an education.

Post #18 » by **TyCobb** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:32 am

FirstInkTDot wrote:
TyCobb wrote:
Bill Bradley wrote:Of course you will get the standard ignorant white guy response that it has nothing to do with race. When you're white, it's a lot easier to not see race. But this is clearly a racist policy- one that disproportionately affects black athletes and lines the NCAA's pockets.

Yeah, who wants a free education?

How does this give them a free education? Most of them only go because of the NBA Rules, otherwise they'd just skip that and enter the draft immediately. Besides **** the NCAA, they are right next to FIFA in terms of scums.

Which goes to show how much an education would help these athletes.

hype_2004 · Post #19 » by **hype_2004** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:34 am

Bill Bradley wrote:Of course you will get the standard ignorant white guy response that it has nothing to do with race. When you're white, it's a lot easier to not see race. But this is clearly a racist policy- one that disproportionately affects black athletes and lines the NCAA's pockets.

Forget the NBA how about the NFL, where an athlete have to spend 4 years in some NCAA penitentiary before they can earn money for their services. The difference is that the NFL does not have any competition, apart from semi-pro leagues like Arena and the CFL, these football athletes have no other sporting options that can make them earn a good living.

FirstInkTDot · Post #20 » by **FirstInkTDot** » Sat Mar 7, 2015 2:36 am

TyCobb wrote:
FirstInkTDot wrote:
TyCobb wrote:
Yeah, who wants a free education?

How does this give them a free education? Most of them only go because of the NBA Rules, otherwise they'd just skip that and enter the draft immediately. Besides **** the NCAA, they are right next to FIFA in terms of scums.

Which goes to show how much an education would help these athletes.

If they wanted high school athletes to stay in college, they need to treat them with more benefits and incentives to actually stay in school. Most of them ignore the $40k or more that it costs to go to school and instead look at how much stuff they can't have like gifts from the school or the ability to sell items that they've signed. If the NCAA actually used the large sums of money they get from March Madness on the players to help their interest, players would stay. Not to mention a lot of these players could get injured badly playing in college and as a result they don't get reimbursed for what could of been.