The NBA Age Limit is Raised

By: Jason Cunningham (6/23/2005)

 NBA Commissioner David Stern announced earlier this week that the league and the players union had agreed to raise the league's minimum age to 19, or an athlete must be one year removed from high school. This decision now prevents athletes such Indianapolis' Lawrence North star Greg Oden from making the leap from high school directly  to the pros next year. Stern has insisted on several occasions, "he is trying to protect the athletes who do not make it from high school to the pros, and end up losing their college eligibility."

 Definitely the league has given college broadcaster, Dick Vitale a reason to insert "diaper dandy" in every one of his broadcasts. Yet the first time one of these freshman, who would have been a lottery pick, suffers a career ending injury, and Lloyds of London representatives have not insured him, the NBA should expect a lawsuit. The athlete is going to state that the NBA impeded on their right to make a living.  The league cannot legitimately prove that there is an inherent physical risk to the athlete by skipping college and going to the pros. If they try to use football as an example, then any good judge will laugh them out of court. The NBA already  has too many success stories of non-college players in the league such as Jermaine O'Neal, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Hall of Famer Moses Malone, and several others. Good to the NBA, this rule want last too long. 

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