In 2005, the NBA players union established a rule that would no longer allow 18-year old prospects to enter the draft out of high school. To many in the college basketball community, this new 19-year old age limit to enter the NBA draft seemed to be a positive move as some of these high school stars being drafted were not ready for the big show, and faltered into oblivion with no opportunities or connections made outside of basketball. In reality, this rule change set the stage for the black eye from the heavy blow college basketball in the form of a FBI scandal revealing corruption at the highest levels.
A viable solution must be put forth, and this does not mean “vacating” wins that every player and spectator witnessed with their own eyes. Future infractions are also an injustice as future athletes who were not involved in scandal end up paying for something they had nothing to do with.
The corruption is ugly for everyone involved there is no other way to spin it. The investigation has shed light on a storm that has been intensifying since the rule change in 2005. A viable solution must be put forth, and this does not mean “vacating” wins that every player and spectator witnessed with their own eyes. Future infractions are also an injustice as future athletes who were not involved in scandal end up paying for something they had nothing to do with. Year in and year out, whether College Hoops fans want to believe it or not, there are about 80-100 kids coming out of high school who truly have no interest in classes, and it is quite obvious their career will be in professional basketball. The answer to this obvious problem will be to change draft eligibility to three years for college students and create an efficient NBA developmental academy for 18 year olds coming out of high school with no desire to receive a free education. This is a feasible way to stop rampant corruption in NCAA College Basketball. Can a developmental academy backed by the NBA and their sponsorships truly work?
The answer to this obvious problem will be to change draft eligibility to three years for college students and create an efficient NBA developmental academy for 18 year olds coming out of high school with no desire to receive a free education.
The attractiveness of this idea to young ballers coming out of high school will sell itself as it will provide an efficient, legal path to properly transition them to the league. These potential top 80-100 players who choose to sign will form eight 10-12 man teams split up into two conferences. Players will be allowed three seasons of eligibility while preparing for a professional career. With the backing of the NBA, these youngsters will receive a standard and very respectable $75,000 per season to develop their skills and compete against other elite players with the same end goal. Funding for the expenses of the league will come from the NBA, sponsorships willing to market within the developmental league and even private funding in an industry ripe for money-making opportunities.
The idea here may be bold and outside the box, but it is clear that is what it takes to solve basketball’s draft age dilemma. Most of these 18-year old kids want to be playing basketball and developing their talent to play at the highest level possible. This league will provide an alternative for prospects to make a good living for themselves and their family while prepping for the NBA draft. The idea of a “free education” for these top basketball players cannot be considered payment.
This is no slight to the value of an education and the opportunities that come with it. Instead, it is the brutal truth about what these athletes truly want to be paid. The payment of a free education loses its value to these sorts of talents as soon as they realize that their path lies somewhere else. The reason for widespread corruption in the sport is because of the high demand for illegal payments to these collegiate athletes. Based on their talents, these athletes want to be paid in such a way that will allow them to support not only themselves, but also their families. A free education is no payment when the education will end up being worthless, which is observed far too commonly in this one and done era. A true payment is compensation through hard earned cash money in such a way seen in other amateur sports. The G-League simply does not cut it because it is not accessible to kids coming out of high school. A simple rule change along with an NBA-backed developmental league will change a lot for the better for an institution that so desperately needs re-imaging.
The idea of a “free education” for these top basketball players cannot be considered payment. A free education is no payment when the education will end up being worthless, which is observed far too commonly in this one and done era.
The NCAA will receive restoration in the culture that these high schoolers were brought in and recruited into. The NBA also has a ripe opportunity to show the world that it truly cares and is willing to make changes in order to accommodate the young stars who want to one day play professionally in the NBA or overseas.
The NBA must flex their muscles and prove themselves as a true value-add to these youngsters. First and foremost, it will show these inexperienced and possibly immature lads what it is like to develop and play in an NBA organization-like atmosphere. The select few who are interested and deserve this type of program will be cultivated in an environment very similar to that of the highest levels of basketball. They will be exposed to sponsorships, likeness opportunities, and interact with the media. Former NBA coaches, scouts, and trainers will be involved and can provide the players with world class treatment, pain management and teaching that these amateurs crave and deserve. Top that off with mentors, financial experts and the plethora of other resources in the Association’s arsenal to make the whole league and process much more attractive. Attractiveness is not the point of this whole development academy, but it will be needed in order to convince these players to take this route. This solution is also efficient. It is a realistic way to fix the problem currently entrenched in the culture of College Hoops. A revolution is needed, and this should be headed by one of the most valuable entities in sports, the NBA.
With every monumental change and culture changing proposal there are always critics and staunch traditionalist who are afraid of what lies ahead. The most glaring problem with this new structure is the lack of preparedness for the real world if these young ballers fail. What will they fall back on? My answer to this issue is rooted in the nurturing these players will receive through this developmental league. They will have access to mentors, agents, financial advisors and role models that will set these men up for success on and off the court. If and when these talents fail, the well-rounded support system provided to them will make the transition to new horizons such as a college education, a job outside of basketball, or other creative avenues, that much smoother. These resources will prove invaluable for not only basketball but all aspects of life. Not everyone reaches the highest level, but why focus on failure when you can focus on the idea of finally preparing kids for the best future possible?
Those against this idea may also wonder where the funding for this grand venture will come from and where these kids will play their actual basketball. The hope here is that the NBA and their sponsors will back this financially. With these sort of resources, 8 locations can be picked for these players to play in with access to the appropriate facilities to thrive. This idea, thrown around by LaVar Ball also has the potential to be privately funded as this league would have prime investing potential. The following the top 80-100 high school basketball prospects receive in today’s mass media culture would provide an automatic base of fans that would love to tune in to and attend these developmental games. The first route seems to be the more logical of the two, but a combination of NBA backing and private entrepreneurs should not be off the table.
A revolution is needed, and this should be headed by one of the most valuable entities in sports, the NBA.
Lastly, the NCAA traditionalist will argue against this idea of a developmental league because it will take away from the talent level, and money-making buzz generated yearly. This mighty organization have exploited young athletes for years and it is time to uproot that practice. The fact that one would consider keeping things the way they are due to tradition rooted College Hoops, and more importantly in all these great division one programs, is laughable. The current FBI probe leaves the NCAA with no leg to stand on. They have been exposed for what they are; an unethical institution that has no choice but to change. All this considered, college hoops will really not suffer in such a way that most think. Think of the times before the one and done era, where players and teams developed over a few years and the landscape was littered with experienced stars on more cohesive teams. This type of cultural, dynamic change will not have much of an effect on the talent and competition that fans have been accustomed to. Let’s not forget there are still teams out there that lack one and done talent and have to truly develop young players. They are a joy to see.
There is a deep-rooted problem in college basketball recruiting. This combined with the obvious exploitation by the NCAA of college athletes leave the powers that be with no choice but to institute needed change in the form of a NBA development league. The answer does not lie in vacated wins, scholarship deductions, recruiting sanctions and future punishment for players who were not involved. The answer is a call to action to put forth an environment where these young kids have an alternative option to develop, thrive and provide. There is no other way.