In defense of the NBA one year rule...

In response to this article, among many others, I respond thus:

First off, I'm not invested in college basketball at all. In fact I
think it is unscrupulous for coaches to try to get these so called "one
and done" players, and for Athletic Directors to reward coaches for
doing it. IU might be a good example (actually the one and done coach,
who probably now has a better job!)?

What I find interesting is how many sports journalists criticize the
NBA for doing something that looks to be in the NBA's best interests. Look at the
Chicago Bulls - they got nothing on their investment in Tyson Chandler
and Eddie Curry who were drafted out of high school, but now they are serviceable pros...for other teams.

If the NBA is better than college at developing players, someone should
do the research (maybe I will when I finish my dissertation) - but it
seems like it takes time - Chandler, Curry, and lets not forget
Jermaine Oneal are more common than Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, and the way contracts are structured, these guys leave by the time they are useful.

Is college the best place for these athletes? that's complicated.
perhaps the NBA should house them in the NBDL, or retain the rights to
draftees throughout college (NCAA presidents allow it in baseball, no?)

I am generally pro-labor, but I don't think it is anybody's RIGHT to
sign a multi-million dollar deal out of High School (good for those who
do). First of all, why should they have to finish high school. Seems pretty arbitrary to me. Can't you work full time at the age of 16?

Second, where is the outcry for talented college juniors who can't work at
Goldman Sachs b/c they are 6 credits shy of getting their degree from
Yale and wind up taking sailing and badminton to fill out the graduation requirements?

Perhaps only high schoolers should be allowed to be drafted in the
first five picks (call it the Lebron Oden rule), and freshmen (one and
dones) in the first round.

I really don't get the 'common sense' wisdom of lambasting the NBA for looking after their investment and trying to reduce risk. I'm more amenable to criticizing the NCAA's hypocrisy - there is a career full of material to write about...

Watching election results