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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.

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

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

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 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.

Zin5 wrote:So why has the NFL not been prosecuted for making players stay in college for three years?

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.

sully00 wrote: Not enought time to fix health care we have to worry about the NBA age limit that affects about 4 people a year.

threrf23 wrote:

sully00 wrote: 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.

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