Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Brandon Jennings bigger than Brandon Jennings

And the American Dream strikes back. Brandon Jennings is no longer just playing with the idea of skipping a year of college basketball and playing a season in Europe, he wants to make it happen. He is the first to take this alternate approach to the NBA's age limit, but hopefully not the last.

The requirement to be nineteen years of age to be eligible for the NBA always inspires a sense of ickyness deep within me. So you are going to tell a legal adult that they cannot play in the NBA? They can vote? They can go to war? But they can't play in the NBA? Seriously?

The logic used for justification of the age requirement never holds up during closer examination. The League will tell you it gives the players a chance to develop and mature. They won't give you a direct comparison of the careers of players straight from high school versus those who played in college. They won't because a whole lot of those unprepared, immature players seem to be doing pretty well. At the least, they do no worse than their collegiate counterparts.

They might tell you it gets the pro scouts away from high schools, helps these young super talents to just be "regular kids," if only for a little while longer. How noble, unfortunately that is a little detached as well. The elite levels of youth basketball are already saturated with a whole lot of seedy business that will exist as long as some of the players will eventually have NBA fame and money. Sneaker companies, wanna be financial advisers, leechers of various types, these elements are in that environment regardless of an age limit.

Additionally, you think NBA teams are content with only observing a very promising talent for their one year of college? Scouts honor? The NBA somehow knew a whole lot about Michael Beasley before he got to K-State, just like they know a whole lot about Tyreke Evans now.

Who really benefits from the age requirement? The NCAA gets a boost by having the brightest stars stop by college for a year. The NBA gets a boost as the players come into the league already known at at a national level and ready revenue generating cogs in the wheel.

The whole thing from the justification we are expected to believe to who really benefits from such a policy stinks. I am grateful for Brandon Jennings.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great article :)

I soo agree. Who benefits and who don't. Good for Brandon Jennings all the best to him and his family

Jack Brown said...

Yeah, its all stuff that has been said before, but the whole age limit thing is absurd to me on many levels. Hopefully enough follow in the footsteps of Jennings to the point where the NBA gets rid of it.

Anonymous said...

Im grateful for that Brandon Jennings flatop, someone needs to bring that back! Down with the cornrows hello flatops! I wonder if he will take it down a notch or 2 to lessen the drag when he gets to the NBA....I move for a nickname of "the class act", in reference to both kid n play, and how hes stickin it to the ncaa.

-Brrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Jack Brown said...

He walked away from Rucker with the name "Doo Be Doo," but that was pre-flattop.

Tyler J Hinds said...

Flat tops are fine and dandy, but what I'm looking for is the resurgence of the Michael Cage jheri curl.

Jack Brown said...

Anyone who can play with that hair has got to be special.

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/lac/CageClip.JPG