Posted by BigSm00th:
"I am in the camp if you can die for your country at 18 you should be able to do anything else including drink alchol. That being said --in reality it's a good rule--not a racial or oppresive one." -- if the NBA were run by the US government it'd be one thing. i think fishmike said it, the NBA is a business and stern (representing the owners) is making sure that the product stays top notch.
playa, what is your retort to the fact that a guy like lebron james or carmelo anthony or, say, lance stephenson who is only a JR in HS right now, what prohibits these guys from signing w/ a spanish or italian team for 2 years? they'd make a TON of money, and they'd be free to enter the draft once they were able to w/ some cash in their pocket.
They would have to do just that, but my question is why do we treat are athletes, different than Europe ? They euro's play in their own backyard enviorment(easy transition) make money and then if good enough vault to the NBA.
Americans kids have to work for no salary in college and then gets penalized if they get caught receiving cash from a booster.
You say it's not a race thing, when 90% of the league is black. ok if that's what you want to believe.
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from boogieman(knickscity)
Let me tell you a story about a kid from East St. Louis, my hometown, named Darius Miles (nick named Dirty Miles cause his clothes were always dirty). He grew up in the worst rat infested projects you could ever imagine. His mom was dirt poor, ill and unemployed. He used to play pickup games in Lincoln Park for money and was for the most part unbeatable, a 6'9" linky kid with pg handles and a 7' footers wingspan and Dunking over everybody!
The catch, he wasn't the smartest kid, and couldn't score high enough on his ACT to get into the right college program and believe it or not, had nobody to direct him as to what to do.
Darius played at the 7up shoot out, a local tourney in St. Louis and dunked on so many other national top rated college prospects and McDonald all Americans when he was in the 11th grade! He had 47 points and 18 rebs in the chip game.
He was invited to the McDonald game his Senior year and put on another dribbling and dunkfest. He was approached by NBA scouts and it changed his life, his moms life and probably genarations of people in his family.
FU*$ck college if you are good enough to make it to the pros, D.Miles gift is basketball not General Studies which is what most NBA bound players major in.
And my point is nobody is making the NBA franchises draft these kids.
Why don't they let them play in the D-League and upgrade that as a true minor league system where young guy learn how to get a little money and learn how to work hard for the big payday in the pro's.
The nba knows the younger the player, the more money they are able to make long term with the new contracts and extensions.
As a business man(player) I would want to get paid as soon as possible. Remember it's a business for everyone players and owners loyalty has left a long time ago .
[Edited by - playa2 on 08-04-2008 20:41]
JAMES DOLAN on Isiah : He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team.