By Charlie O. Mallonee

The National Basketball Association is trying to avoid paying for player development cost by raising the age limit to join the league to 20-years of age. The current league age requirement is 19-years.

The 19-year old age limit has created the “one and done” phenomena in college basketball. Players enroll for one season. If they are successful on the court, the players leave school and enter the NBA Draft. This means NBA teams must draft and pay to develop this unproven talent in the hope that the players will become NBA level talent.

One way to cut the cost of player development is to raise the age limit to play in the NBA to 20-years old. This would cause players to stay in school for a second season while they develop physically and improve their basketball skills. It would make players drafted into “the Association” a better investment as they would be more prepared to play professional basketball after an additional year of seasoning at the collegiate level. NBA teams would save money by not having to pay for an additional year of player development.

College programs would not have a problem with raising the age limit to 20. It would reduce their recruiting cost and give them additional playing time from more experienced players. It seems like a win-win for the colleges and the NBA but is not a win for the players.

Let’s be frank, college is not for everybody. Some young men do not want to matriculate after high school. They would rather go right to work in professional basketball the way players do in baseball and hockey.

Yes, this would drive up the cost of player development for the NBA. They would need to invest more in the D-League and possibly send players to the Euro league to develop the skills required to play in the NBA. In other words, the NBA needs to develop a true minor league system. Player development cost would increase, but it is just the cost of doing business properly.

The fact is that a college education is not required to play in the NBA (see Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire, Monta Ellis, et al). The keys to playing in the NBA are not learned in a classroom. They are learned and developed in the gym. So, why must a player go to college in order to continue playing until they reach age 19 or 20 if the NBA has its way? The fact is they should not have playing for a college team as their only option after high school.

This is not an indictment against a college education. Continuing education is a good thing. For the economic development of the nation, it is a necessary commodity. It just should not be a requirement to play in the NBA or a way for the “the Association” to avoid development cost.

Baseball and hockey allow young men aged 18 (or younger in some cases) the opportunity to begin professional careers without  going to college. They get to play in places like Bakersfield, Ft. Wayne and Thunder Bay. As their skills improve they move up the ladder. If they do not progress, they are cut (fired), and they move on to the next phase of their lives. Savvy players have negotiated for their college tuition to paid for by the team if they are released by the club.

The key question is – who would be harmed if high school players could go directly to the NBA? It would cost the NBA money for the cost of developing younger talent, so their bottom-line would be affected. NBA players might not receive the type of raises they desire as teams would have to divert more money to player development. The colleges might not have the opportunity to have some talented players participate in their programs because they would bypass NCAA level play. Ultimately, no person or group would be unduly harmed by the change.

Who would win if the situation were changed? The young men who want to put it all on the line and pursue their dream of playing professional basketball. For some, that will mean a financial windfall as they reach stardom earlier than they would if forced to play in college. For others, it means their dream will end while they are young enough to seek other occupational opportunities, but they will have had the chance to pursue their dreams.

Let me add at this point, I am not against a college education. In fact, I wish that all basketball players would attend college, complete a four-year degree and then go play professionally. I think that would be the best of all options, but that option is really not realistic for all.

It is time for a change. If you are 18-years old (a legal adult) you should be able to play in the NBA. There is no logical reason to keep these talented individuals from playing the game they love professionally.