by T-Dizz

Created on: February 27, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

The age limit the NBA has set is so that the young players can get ready for the life in the NBA and in the spotlight. It is so they can get prepared more mentally than psychically, since most of the players that are actually good enough to go to the L right after high school are built like their counterparts in the NBA, such as LeBron James and Kwame Brown.

While there are two examples, one of the best straight out of high school and one that is considered a bust, there are many players that have come to the League straight from Prom. Moses Malone is the most notable NBA player to do it first and became an inspiration for future players, as Kevin Garnett has mentioned before. Some players come into the league and struggle for a while, some are the last player on their bench and do not see any playing time except in a blowout, but sometimes the players blossom into great NBA stars. For example, Jermaine O'Neal played for Portland early in his career and hardly got any time on the court, but a few years into the NBA and he is a great NBA player and All-Star. A select few come in and are expected to make contributions right away. Kobe Bryant was given big shots and good minutes for a rookie and learned from it, he studied the game and took advantage of what he was given and now is arguably the best player in the league.

I do however, understand that NBA's requirement of age. These young players see money and they want it quick, they see the light and the big stage and the sponsorships. Going to college helps them learn how to handle the spotlight and gives them light on how to handle their money and how to invest it wisely instead of spending all of it right away. They learn what it is like to play on Nationally Televised games in front of millions of people. They get to learn from some of the greatest coaches the sport of basketball has ever known.

Aside from the mental aspect, they learn and develop greater fundamentals of the game. They spend hour after hour on footwork and weight training. The players get the practice they need to understand and learn from the game. It all makes the NBA more exciting and the play more fluent and fun to watch. In recent years more rookies have made a big impact coming into the league after a few years of the college level.

All in all the NBA made a good choice with the requirement. It gives the players time to develop personal skills as well as basketball skills that will make the game better for the fans, players, coaches, and the little kids at home playing in their driveways pretending to be the stars.

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