“Great players like Kevin Garnett, Amar'e Stoudemire, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, the list goes on and on” – NBA analyst advocates the idea of signing high school players to NBA, asserts on revoking age rule
The NBA has a rich history of bringing young basketball stars into the spotlight. In recent years, however, that idea has shifted. The league has tweaked the requirements to play at the NBA level.
Originally, players at the high school level were eligible to throw their hats into the ring when it came to entering the NBA Draft. Players such as Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant both took the leap to the next level straight out of high school.
But since then, the league has made it necessary for players to have at least one "graduate" year before they can be drafted. This is known as the "one-and-done" rule.
It was recently announced that the league is having discussions about changing the league's minimum age requirement from 19 to 18. This would obviously be the beginning of an additional move by the league to continue to develop their developmental systems.
Analyst Jalen Rose spoke about this recently on ESPN's "Jalen & Jacoby". He said that he believes the idea of changing the age requirement is smart. Rose even went on to highlight some of the other NBA stars that came straight out of high school.
"I've always told you the honest truth about what I felt about the topic and the restrictions that basketball and football players have after high school versus those that play golf or tennis or NASCAR and the racial component of those sports be predominantly black.
"Put these athletes in a position to continue to pay the system as long as possible before they can profit. And so I am not surprised that they're switching the age limit back because there's truly been evidence of all time.
"Great players like Kevin Garnett, Amar'e Stoudemire, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, the list goes on and on and on... That should never have been a rule. Why is it still a rule right now? Don't discuss it, change it."
NBA looks to lower the eligible age for entering the draft
The NBA has stated that it would do nothing to change the philosophy of the "one-and-done" rule. That could mean that the league is looking at any potential opportunity to continue to develop their developmental system, or the G-League.
Sources: NBA and NBPA in serious talks on new items for potential Collective Bargaining Agreement:
- Draft age eligibility from 19 to 18, return of high school-to-NBA
- Measure that allows players citing mental health similar to physical injury
More: theathletic.com/3607549/2022/0…
With the rise in popularity of the G-League, as well as the continued increase in international talent, the league could see it as an opportunity to expand each team's "minor league" system.