OT: NBA on the defense over age requirement

[campybatman]

The NBA defended its minimum age requirement to Congress, but a critical lawmaker was unmoved and is asking to meet with top league officials to discuss it, according to letters obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

The rule, which is part of the league's collective bargaining agreement with the players union, requires that players be at least 19 years old and a year out of high school before entering the league. Last month, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., urged the league and union to scrap the requirement in the next collective bargaining agreement, calling it unfair.

NBA President Joel Litvin told Cohen in a recent letter the purpose of the requirement is to promote the league's business interests by "increasing the chances that incoming players will have the requisite ability, experience, maturity and life skills" to perform at a high level. The policy also helps teams make informed hiring decisions, he wrote.

In addition, he said, players get an extra year to mature and develop, making it more likely they can handle the challenges of being an NBA player.

Litvin said the policy is motivated by "business considerations," not a desire to force players to attend college against their wishes.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/b ... index.html

[BakersDozen]

The age limit is a joke. You can fight and die for your country at 18 but you cant play pro basketball.

[Gant]

The age limit is a joke. You can fight and die for your country at 18 but you cant play pro basketball.

But these guys aren't fighting and dieing. These guys are playing basketball. Other guys the same age are fighting and dieing and those guys are not helped if a few high schoolers jump to the NBA.

As it stands now, a handful of high school basketball stars will be rich next year instead of this year. It's not the world's greatest civil rights issue.

[Zin5]

So why has the NFL not been prosecuted for making players stay in college for three years?

[Spin Move]

Congress has an age limit, try running for the house or senate when your 18, you can't do it.

[OBisHalJordan]

this thread is almost as good as yesterday's petition to nobody...bonsai, you're a real asset to the forum. i wonder what article you will read tomorrow?

[SonicYouth34]

That's why their Europe. Jennings opened that door and got drafted in the top 10.

[the sea duck]

Congress has an age limit, try running for the house or senate when your 18, you can't do it.

exactly.

[GuyClinch]

We had a huge thread on this a few years back. In a nutshell the reason the league can get away with is the union factor. The legal protection given to unions trumps that of age discrimination..amazingly enough.

Its kinda bizarre in my view but unions are sacred to the democratic congress and white house. They bought a whole car company to save some blessed "union jobs." The congress rules are built into the constitution - so that's how they get away with it. In general you can't slap age requirements on most jobs..especially not sports related ones. the list of successful young athletes is incredibly lengthy. In sports like golf and tennis its the rule - not the exception.

Pete

[Dirty Water]

I think it's a good rule. A lot of the guys in high school are dumb and doorknobs and don't know what to do with their money and their time once they jump to the NBA. College allows them to experience life on their own for a little bit before they make the jump.

[campybatman]

I wonder why the schools bother to recruit a top high school player if they know that they'll only commit for one year. Some would admit that they would've entered the draft instead if not for the age requirement being in place. Maybe some of these head coaches believe that a year of school and success of the team might convince one or two to remain for another year. Otherwise, I'm surprised that more potential lottery picks don't follow the route of Jennings and play overseas for pay.

[GuyClinch]

I think it's a good rule. A lot of the guys in high school are dumb and doorknobs and don't know what to do with their money and their time once they jump to the NBA. College allows them to experience life on their own for a little bit before they make the jump.

The idea that people as dumb as doorknobs should go to college is pretty stupid. The NBA and NCAA should be moving towards more scholar athletes not finding a way to exploit young studs (NCAA) for a year and avoid talent evaluation mistakes (NBA).

If we are talkinga bout education for someone who can't play in the NBA (or overseas) your far better off with trade school then one year of college. For some people that's true for for years of college. What's more employable an automobile mechanic or someone with 1/4 of a communications degree?

This is essentially what has happened. Its a conspiracy between 3 self-interested parties. The players like the idea because the union will concede to various concessions in exchange for an age requirement that doesn't effect anyone already in the union. The NCAA digs it for the money it makes. And the NBA loves it for the fact that older players (who have played overseas or college ball) are easier to evaluate.

Its not about helping the players at all. That senator is actually pretty sharp. I give him some credit. Most people are gullible and buy the its good for the player jive.

Pete

[campybatman]

The lure of potential money overseas was the reason that Latavious Williams opted to pursue a professional basketball career overseas instead of keep his commitment to Memphis, according to his consultant Trey Godfrey.

Williams, who played his postgraduate year at Christian Life Center Academy in Texas, becomes the third prep player in the past year to choose a pro career over playing in college. But like the other two, Williams wasn't qualified -- yet -- to play academically, according to a source with direct knowledge of his academic record.

"He's 6-8, long and athletic and as this process continued and there were questions whether he would qualify or not, there was conversations to see if he could do what Brandon Jennings did," Godfrey said.

Jennings, who signed to play at Arizona, didn't qualify before he decided to leave last summer and play a year in Italy. He was drafted No. 10 by the Milwaukee Bucks last month. Jeremy Tyler, who is from San Diego, quit school prior to the end of his junior year this past spring to pursue a two-year plan to play overseas before he would be eligible for the 2011 NBA draft.

American players can't declare for the NBA draft unless they've been out of high school for a year and are at least 19 years old in the draft's calendar year.

"The decision to play overseas was always an option for Latavious, even as he was looking at Memphis, Florida International and Georgetown," said Godfrey, who said he has known Williams for the past few years since he plays for Godfrey's close friend, Valerian Owens, on the Dallas-based AAU team Brandon Bass Elite.

Godfrey said Williams doesn't have a contract "on the table" from any professional team.

"But there is a lot of interest from Europe and the Far East," Godfrey said. "Because of the [financial] situation his family is in, he saw this as an opportunity to help them out a bit."

Godfrey said now that Williams has made a decision, he expects there to be a lot more interest from professional teams and said he hoped to have a contract from a team within the next few weeks.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4345897

[sully00]

The rule as it stands is stupid but no more stupid then teams being forced to invest millions of dollars in players who have only performed against high school talent or risk not having access to the premier talent in the league.

I think the easy solution is to go more of the Baseball or Hockey model. At 18 years of age you are draft eligible, if you want to go pro good for you but your ass can stay in the D league for the term of your rookie deal. If you go to college good for you, you can sign with the team that drafted you whenever for that draft slot money or after 3 years of college you can re enter the draft if you are a better player at that point. If you were undrafted at 18 but enrolled in college you have to go through the draft process again once you leave school.

This solution is offered free of charge.

[threrf23]

So why has the NFL not been prosecuted for making players stay in college for three years?

According to the ruling, because there is sufficient evidence/reason to believe that allowing players to enter the league without that experience puts them in physical danger do to the relevant demands of the NFL.

I remember looking over some case law around the time the age limit was instituted, and I am not sure that the NBA's age limit would hold up in court if/when challenged. It is actually an anti-trust issue since the NBA has pretty much a monopoly on professional top-level basketball in the US. I am under the impression that the NBA will need to successfully argue that players under the age of 19 are at risk of danger if allowed to play in the NBA. I don't think that will happen. In fact, I don't believe that the league could even successfully argue that the age limit even helps players to succeed more than it would help them to fail.

NBA President Joel Litvin told Cohen in a recent letter the purpose of the requirement is to promote the league's business interests by "increasing the chances that incoming players will have the requisite ability, experience, maturity and life skills" to perform at a high level.

I feel like he's missing the point if he seeks to make a case for legality.

The policy also helps teams make informed hiring decisions, he wrote.

I don't like this statement. Teams have their own scouting departments. The league shouldn't seek to bail out a dumb GM. And, if teams were so concerned with the pitfalls of 18 year olds, they wouldn't draft them.

[sully00]

Stern's most persuasive argument, whether legal or not still stands, and that is he is trying to keep NBA teams and therefore player agents out of High School and AAU gyms.

We look to protect kids all the time from those that would look to use or pervert them and in essence while protecting his business interests at the same time, he also accomplishes this to some extent.

I again as always feel this is absolutely necessary business of Congress and it makes me so proud to be an American that they have done such a great job fixing all of our other problems that they have found time to fix a successful sports business. Not enought time to fix health care we have to worry about the NBA age limit that affects about 4 people a year.

[threrf23]

Not enought time to fix health care we have to worry about the NBA age limit that affects about 4 people a year.

But, the economic implications affect far more than four people....and besides once you "fix" health insurance it no longer serves as a mass distraction from the really important issues.

[GreenGrizz]

How many 18 years old boys do we have in Iraq War?

[sully00]

Not enought time to fix health care we have to worry about the NBA age limit that affects about 4 people a year.

But, the economic implications affect far more than four people....and besides once you "fix" health insurance it no longer serves as a mass distraction from the really important issues.

What economic implications. What is more important that 1/3rd of the national economy? Obviously the other 2/3rds but seriously, "a mass distraction?" You either have never not had or don't pay for it.

[Hendrix]

I wonder why the schools bother to recruit a top high school player if they know that they'll only commit for one year.

Because top recruits = ESPN. And ESPN = $.