The NBA Age Limit Debates

The NBA Age Limit debate is something that is discussed very often by many fans of the NBA.  The NBA used to allow players to come straight to the NBA from high school, but now all players are required to have a year between graduating high school and playing in the NBA.  This is something that caused a lot of debate amongst fans. As a result, other players have gone straight to Europe for a year and then went to the NBA, but that is the least used option for players coming out of high school.

The first argument with the NBA age limit debate is that many people feel that at eighteen years-old, players should have the right to choose whichever career path they want.  If people are good enough to play in the NBA, then they should be allowed. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were given the opportunity and succeeded.  Many players are in a position where they have a family that desperately needs money and it is not fair to keep them from earning income for their family.  

Another problem is the negative effect it has on forcing a player to play NCAA Basketball for one season.  Being in college for one year and going to the NBA is not good for the University or the college student.  Someone who intends to be at the college for one year only is not going to take academics seriously and it is not fair to the students in the classes that are taking it seriously.

The other side of the NBA age limit debate is the side that believes that going straight from high school to the NBA is a bad idea.  Many players have failed in doing this and it has caused seriously negative effects on the people this happened to.  Going from a high school student with not much money to a nineteen year-old with millions of dollars in the bank is not an easy transition. Many players have failed with transition and ended up out of the league within a few years.  Also, without playing college basketball, it is very difficult to tell if high school players are good enough to go to the NBA.  

The NBA age limit debate is a very difficult debate.  There can be a strong case made for each side of the debate.  Going to play NCAA Basketball for one year has been very successful for some people and so has going straight from high school to the NBA.  This is what makes the NBA age limit debate such a great debate.

Resources:

NBA

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