NBA talent has sky rocketed, with young players succedding using athleticism, speed and strength. Young players are going to the all star game. This is the dream that many kids have going into the NBA, but does that mean that they will be successful?
The admission prerequisites to enter the NBA, require a player to complete one year of college. High School players were eligible to enter the NBA before 2006. Superstars such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, and Tracy Mcgrady are a few of many who were drafted out of High School and succeeded in the NBA, winning accolades and MVP awards. These superstars have brought the NBA to new fame, but there are other High School players who have entered the league and did not become successful at all. Maybe if they went to college, there NBA careers would have been more successful.
High School player Kwame Brown, who was Michael Jordan’s first pick in the NBA draft was a complete bus;t and, is considered the worst first round draft pick in history. This also applies for players who only attend college for one year, and then enter the league. How would their career turn out? If Greg Oden stayed an extra year in college, his skills would have been more define; and he would have been in better shape.
There are exceptions, like Sebastian Telfair, who went straight to the NBA because of his family’s living situation. He took the NBA contract to better his family’s lives. There are freshman draftees; like Chris Taft, who was the Freshman of The Year in his conference. Chris Taft was a 2nd round draft pick to the Golden State Warriors with potential. With no guidance, he was released from the Warriors and resorted to becoming a free agent. Not all players are the same; some are ready for the NBA, while others need more training. Monta Ellis came into the league; and received a low salary in his second contract. If Ellis went to college and showed his talent on the national stage, he would have been a lottery pick.
The NBA possesses the best basketball players in the world, but teams could be more equal if the players had made different decisions about how early they went professional. The NBA should either increase the college rule or quit complaining when a college athlete leaves after their first year of college. The NBA is a privilege, not a right. So, those who deserve to be in the NBA, should stay in the NBA, for a long successful career.