The NBA: Should there be an age limit?

David Stern is currently toying with an idea to have a minimum age limit for the NBA so that teams would not draft young inexperienced players who would likely spend several years on the bench playing several minutes.

The idea is that with so many players drafted straight from high school, the level of the NBA has dropped significantly. Many players drafted straight from high school will probably not have an instant impact in their first few years in the NBA.

Anyway, what's your opinion about an age limit for the NBA? Do you agree with them, or do you think it's just a waste of time, because the NBA would likely not see another "LeBron James", "Amare Stoudemire" or "Kobe Bryant"?

I think there needs to be age limits for all sports. At the very core of this issue, I still think that every person should get an education first and foremost. Even if you're an amazingly talented athlete, when you retire, what do you have to fall back on? Granted, most will be millionaires by then, but can they truly be happy to just sit around for the rest of their lives?

Sure, there will be some exceptions, where someone grows up in the worst of conditions and turning pro could change the lives of so many people, but I think the vast majority of kids that turn pro do it on the advice of unsavory folk interested in taking a slice of the money for themselves.

Also, as Charles Barkley has noted so many times, for every LeBron James, there are twenty others who never even reach the pros and have nothing else to fall back on because they have left college or not attended at all, which is what this is really all about, and have made choices that keep them from being able to realize and develop other potential that they might have.

We should work to develop their lives as people first, athletes second, not vice versa.

Take care all.

Well, there's no doubt that the trend of high school players jumping straight to the NBA will continue if the rule is not implemented. Gerald Green, the leading scorer at this year's McDonald's High School All-America game, and the dunk contest winner, recently announced his eligibility for the NBA draft. So, in that sense, it's not a waste of time.

My views on the issue can basically be summed up by The Captain's post.

I think it should be the NBA's decision, and I'll stick by whatever they go by.

I don't think there should be an age limit, because if someone feels you can do the job at 18, then go ahead. I think it's a bit overated. Look at Latrell Sprewell, what is he...36? I've seen more maturity from someone half his age(like LeBron). They say players don't get these "fundamentals" and such, that's BS. Look at all these 30+ year old players in the league, a ton of them don't have fundamentals after being in college. If they can play, let them play. That's all that matters.

But I'll stick by the NBA's age limit if they impose one. I've seen mature HS players like Amare and LeBron. I've also seen players like John Gilchrist (a Jr.) who probably has little chance in the NBA that will jump ship. Yes it took Garnet, Kobe, and McGrady years to develop...so what? There's more college seniors who never develop into the players like T-Mac. So I think this whole age limit is overated.

But what about all those who make the jump but don't make it on any teams? What can they do to fall back on? That's where my concern is.

Take care all.

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Originally Posted by The Captain

But what about all those who make the jump but don't make it on any teams? What can they do to fall back on? That's where my concern is.

Take care all.

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Well, they're 18. I do feel sorry for some, but for most they let temptation take over them. When you're 18, you should be allowed to make your own decisions. That's why they don't have parents and guardians sign contracts for them in the NBA.

Actually, I don't feel sorry for them. Here's why: If you had a chance at millions and also knew that there is a good chance you wouldn't be drafted, then you take the chance anyways knowing full well you could end up not being drafted. Even if these kids go to college, they are only there for boosting their draft status in a few years. With a few exceptions (like Emeka Okafor), all of these athletes will get degrees in like Letters and Sciences and Sports Communications or Sociology. I mean come on, these are fluff majors. They only get those degrees because they're easy to get and the classes are easy enough to keep your GPA above 2.0.

If these players choose to throw away a real college education, that's them. There are so many people in the world who wish they had a college education but can't afford it or attain it, so for these athletes to throw it all away at hopes for being picked, then they picked their poison.

The differnece from high school to the NBA should be so big that a player doing good from high school is a rarity and it is. They should set an age limit just so they can get a bit more of an education and more experience at another level before they jump into the pros. Playing for a set of professional coaches for a few years will do them a lot more good then playing for teachers after school.

I agree with the whole school thing the captain presents also.

i dont really care for the NBA, but i know whats going on. i think they should have a 2 years removed from high school policy. the nfl has a 3 year policy, and i think its great. but for the NBA i think 2 years is good enough cause in the nfl the athlete has to be mature enough(in a sense) to play on the level of intensity and in the NBA you dont need that mature level it takes for the nfl.

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Originally Posted by Tenacious M

i dont really care for the NBA, but i know whats going on. i think they should have a 2 years removed from high school policy. the nfl has a 3 year policy, and i think its great. but for the NBA i think 2 years is good enough cause in the nfl the athlete has to be mature enough(in a sense) to play on the level of intensity and in the NBA you dont need that mature level it takes for the nfl.

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I think what you mean is physical maturity. Those NFL LBs are at least 6' and packing about 240 lbs at that height.

The NBA, you might need more mental maturity seeing as the sport isn't quite as physical. I don't think there should be an age limit at all. Look at baseball, AFAIK, there is no age limit and no one seems to really complain.

The difference for baseball is that there's a minor league system. Both the NBA and NFL lack that. Baseball teams are known to draft players as young as 18 years old, but it's very rare that you'll see an 18 year old in MLB, because they get sent straight to the minors to play for several years before playing at a higher level which is in the big leagues.

In the NBA, they would treat college basketball as the training ground for players, so they could polish their game while getting education. However, because there isn't a minor league for the NBA, most players drafted young will have to end up staying on the bench.

This is massive money business we're talking about.

I see it as any ultra-competitive situation. You go for the gold if you have the guts. If you fail, then you can join the ranks of the failures. If you succeed, then you become one of the envied successed and role models of the world.
For those who follow this, it is an honor worth dying for. Building a safety net for these people is an utterly corrupt and, if I may say so, morally and ethically repugnant.

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Originally Posted by Dingo Jellybean

I think what you mean is physical maturity. Those NFL LBs are at least 6' and packing about 240 lbs at that height.

The NBA, you might need more mental maturity seeing as the sport isn't quite as physical. I don't think there should be an age limit at all. Look at baseball, AFAIK, there is no age limit and no one seems to really complain.

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i do mean physical maturity for NFL, but i think you also need mental maturity. and i agree with the mental maturity being needed for the NBA.
but the thing about the MLB is that most of your players arent being drafted out of college and playing in the MLB the 1st year out. most of the players play in minor leage teams, which gives them enough maturity for the MLB level.

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that David Stern is a terrible commisioner. He goes after this minor problem but does nothing to fix the HUUUUUUGE problem of ty NBA refereeing. If you took the refees from the NCAA and the NBA and compared who actually did a good job my bet is that 4/5 or 9/10 times the NCAA does a better job. The NBA refees are obviously bias as all hell and will do damn near anything to see to it that teams they want to lose acutally lose.

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Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that David Stern is a terrible commisioner. He goes after this minor problem but does nothing to fix the HUUUUUUGE problem of ty NBA refereeing. If you took the refees from the NCAA and the NBA and compared who actually did a good job my bet is that 4/5 or 9/10 times the NCAA does a better job. The NBA refees are obviously bias as all hell and will do damn near anything to see to it that teams they want to lose acutally lose.

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yeah, especially when micheal jordon was playing. those refs would have call Mugsy Bournes for goal tending if they had to.

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Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that David Stern is a terrible commisioner. He goes after this minor problem but does nothing to fix the HUUUUUUGE problem of ty NBA refereeing. If you took the refees from the NCAA and the NBA and compared who actually did a good job my bet is that 4/5 or 9/10 times the NCAA does a better job. The NBA refees are obviously bias as all hell and will do damn near anything to see to it that teams they want to lose acutally lose.

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There was one referee that should have been suspended 10 games, I think it was...I forgot. But the story was that the referee kept holding grudges and gave a technical to some coach who just politely asked for an explanation.

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Originally Posted by Tenacious M

yeah, especially when micheal jordon was playing. those refs would have call Mugsy Bournes for goal tending if they had to.

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At first, I use to think that...but after rewatcing all the MJ tapes(believe me, I do not get bored of watching MJ), MJ just had God-given talent. There was also one play, back in 98 or 97, when the Bulls played the Pacers, Reggie Miller pushed off MJ to get open and hit the game winning shot in the playoffs. No call was ever made, and it was so blatantly obvious. However, it made no difference as the Bulls went on to win the title anyways.

MJ was a god on court. period. They used to look for things to call jordan on. They just couldnt find anything most times.


As for the NBA age limit. I think its fine the way it is. At 18 years old, you are an adult. You make your own decisions and are held responsible if things turn out bad.