Kareem thinks NBA minimum age should be 21 instead of 19
Please actually read the article for his points instead of spewing stupidity.
Quote:
Abdul-Jabbar says NBA entry age should be 21
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says the NBA should raise its minimum age for entry into the league to 21.
The NBA’s career scoring leader and center on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 1980s “Showtime” teams said Wednesday there’s a disturbing sense of entitlement among many of today’s young pros.
“They get precocious kids from high school who think they’re rock stars— ‘Where’s my $30 million?’ ” said Abdul-Jabbar, who was in Omaha to speak at the B’nai B’rith sports banquet. “The attitudes have changed, and the game has suffered because of that, and it has certainly hurt the college game.”
The 63-year-old Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson led the Lakers to five NBA titles in the 1980s. Before Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, he set the NBA record for career points (38,387), MVP selections (six) and All-Star selections (19).
He now is a special assistant to the Lakers and a best-selling author.
Abdul-Jabbar met students Wednesday at Boys Town, the nationally acclaimed home for troubled youth. He told them about his time at UCLA, where he played on three national championship teams for John Wooden and graduated in four years with degrees in English and history.
I agree, but this is also so players, particularly big men can develop better fundamentals and be impact players right away. That will also cut down on the amount of busts who are projected to be better than they are like Kwame Brown. A few years in college would have proven that he was not worthy of the number 1 pick.
Hell-mother-f@cking-no! Plenty of 19 and 20 year olds are having great success in the NBA. There are going to be busts no matter what the age limit is. Legal adults who are talented enough to get paid to play basketball shouldn't essentially be forced to go get used by some college program for three years.
If they're going to bother with an age limit then it should be something like 20 or 21, I agree with that much, because all the 19 year-old limit does is give a coach like Calipari a one-year rental that he knows will be gone, so the coach barely teaches the star player anything, just abuses whatever traits make the player good, and then waves goodbye. Guys like Rose, Beasly, Mayo, etc. didn't get anything from the NCAA. So either raise the age limit or get rid of it.
Hell-mother-f@cking-no! Plenty of 19 and 20 year olds are having great success in the NBA. There are going to be busts no matter what the age limit is. Legal adults who are talented enough to get paid to play basketball shouldn't essentially be forced to go get used by some college program for three years.
Plenty? where? I'm not seeing them. Is that talent sustainable? Why has the talent been diluted so badly in this league? Yes, even the worst NBA players can kick my ass, big whoop. That's like saying the Incredible Hulk beating the shit out of a midget is an accomplishment. Legal adults can purchase guns, doesn't mean that everyone should be able to.
The NBA perhaps wouldn't have players working hard to get a big contract, then virtually disappearing when getting it because they got their payday and have jack for maturity. We wouldn't have big men drafted off of potential then becoming busts, but big men who have a proven skill set being worthy of drafted.
No, it should be 18, and I can't see any sort of logical argument against it.
Perhaps because they're emotionally, mentally, and physically immature to be in the NBA? Kobe, KG, Lebron don't make the majority, seems to be the argument used in favor of it.
Do I really have to post a list of players who entered the NBA before age 21 who have been successful? It's quite a long list. Over the past few seasons there has been Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Danilo Gallinari, Eric Gordon, Kevin Durant, Wilson Chandler etc... these are all very good players. Then there's young guys who seem like they have bright futures and have shown flashes, such as Jrue Holiday, Anthony Randolph, Serge Ibaka, Deandre Jordan, JJ Hickson, etc.
Perhaps because they're emotionally, mentally, and physically immature to be in the NBA? Kobe, KG, Lebron don't make the majority, seems to be the argument used in favor of it.
If you just want to see the best players become the best, then I think you definitely wan't SOME players coming out of high school. Think of the 10 best players of the Decade (Iverson, Kobe, Shaq, Wade, Lebron, KG, TMac, Kidd, Nash, Duncan) Four were coming out of highschool. Are 40% of the NBA players coming out of High school? No, its because College ball is so different from NBA ball, and getting that extra 2-3 years of experience in the NBA and having much better competition makes a huge difference. I don't think Lebron or KG would be anything like the players they are coming out of College.
Do I really have to post a list of players who entered the NBA before age 21 who have been successful? It's quite a long list. Over the past few seasons there has been Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Danilo Gallinari, Eric Gordon, Kevin Durant, Wilson Chandler etc... these are all very good players. Then there's young guys who seem like they have bright futures and have shown flashes, such as Jrue Holiday, Anthony Randolph, Serge Ibaka, Deandre Jordan, JJ Hickson, etc.
And how many players have shown flashes yet can't play consistently even if Lorena Bobbit had a knife to their dick? Probably outnumber all of those on your list times two.
i'd like to see a semi-pro system for HS grads as an alternative to college. it would never happen since the NCAA benefits so much from unpaid college ballplayers, they'd find a way to stop it.
i think the age is fine where it's at. 19 or 2 yrs from HS.
An at least 21 of age limit would actually length some players careers/primes. Remember it isn't actually age, but NBA mins. More players would be able to thrive into their 30's with an age limit, but that is really the only plus I see with an increased age limit.
Kareem thinks NBA minimum age should be 21 instead of 19
