Well of course they should be able to! College athletes should have the opportunity (if the talent is there) to enter the draft as soon as they walk across that stage and are awarded their high school diploma. Now, this used to be a thing. Back in the years between 1995 and 2005 some of the league’s all-time greats were drafted at the bright and young age of 18 years old! Legends like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Tracy McGrady, and Kevin Garnett just to name a few. These guys at the time couldn’t buy alcohol but could compete for an NBA title and make millions of dollars in the process. That is astonishing. Most guys at 18 are just partying their way through their first semester of college and living off ramen noodles. Such a cliché but partly true.
If these players have the talent at such a young age, then what on earth is the reason for making them go through at least one year of college? Some argue that these “kids” aren’t ready for that huge change in play-style and atmosphere. The reality that going from the “big man on campus” at the high school level to a young and fresh kid on an NBA team that is full of bigger, tougher, and more experienced men is a tremendous change of “normalcy”. But this may not be such a bad thing. If these are young adults that have the talent to play at the pro level, then reality is they have already been in the spotlight and are used to the kind of attention and exploitation that NBA stars are used to. Take Zion Williamson for instance. You could watch him play in his high school games on ESPN! People have been raging about this guy for years. Countless of his flashy dunks and highlights have been on major sport social media pages for years. He was used to all the attention.
The way the game is played at the NBA level is a lot different than the college level and especially high school level. College is a great steppingstone to learning the game in more depth and really honing your skill, but aren’t the best trainers and staff in the NBA? Isn’t that why we call it the pros? These teams have million-dollar budgets that allow them to pay the best physical trainers and best coaches that are out there. It seems that a player that has shown the ability to compete at the highest level of basketball would want the best of the best training him and pushing him to become a better athlete. Now for those players that aren’t quite ready for the jump to play against NBA teams, but still show tremendous talent, there is another option other than college. The NBA G league. This is a league all about development. NBA caliber staff but more focused on growing and challenging these players. Preparing them to be play minutes against the best of the best and having the endurance to last an 82-game season. College is important, but so are these young athletes and they shouldn’t be forced to go to college if they just want to play basketball.
In 2005 the rule was set that you had to be 19 years of age to play in the NBA and the “One and done” rule was born. Pick a random college, play basketball for a year while keeping up your grades and following academic policy, all of this with the NCAA breathing down your neck and watching you like a hawk. Sounds great doesn’t it? The NCAA is notorious for chomping its teeth down on schools for violations and misconduct. Lots of the time it’s over money. See, an athlete can be shoved in the spotlight and used by the university to make tons of money and grow their fan base, but the player can not use any of his own likeness for making cash himself. Slack in school because you are focusing too much on practicing and playing games, and you can find yourself on the bench because you haven’t kept your grades up. Any players dream is to make it to the NBA. They want to get paid! Why have to play a year in college and risk injury or violations if they could just go straight to the NBA and get started on their rookie contract.
Education is very important and should be taken seriously because it has a direct effect on the amount of money you could be making in the future and the career you will have. That is what it is all about right? Making good money and working a job you love? Why not have that opportunity at the earliest age possible. An NBA player’s livelihood depends on their performance on the court. Injuries could kill a career and stunt that income. Risking injury for a year by playing basketball at the college level when this athlete knows they will be entering the draft soon and have a contract making millions shouldn’t be risk they have to take. A lot of these players don’t come from rich and wealthy households and often need to make money to help provide for their family. If they had the opportunity to go straight to the NBA and sign a multi-million-dollar contract with their sought-after talent, they would. If they get injured their first year in the league at least they are still guaranteed the amount they signed for. A college education isn’t going anywhere. You can always go back to college, but you only get a once in a lifetime shot at being a professional athlete.
What was once allowed should be allowed again. The NBA had it right in the years before 2005 by allowing the entry of athletes of the age of 18. If the talent is there, don’t stop it. Legend alumnus of the big college programs don’t like seeing great talent come in for one year and leave the next. The “One and done” rule isn’t very popular among most schools. Let these top talent athletes try for the NBA if they feel they can make it and that way the colleges get the more serious and dedicated athletes to their programs. Win, win. Case closed.
Carter Wood Sports 