NBA: The Last Draft for High
School Players
By: Jason Cunningham (6/27/2005)
When NBA Commissioner David Stern tomorrow night
says "from blank blank high school" it will be for the last time, in his
opinion. The league last week officially banned high school players from
declaring themselves eligible for draft unless they turn age nineteen before the
end of the calendar year, in the year in which they are drafted or one year
removed from high school.
The drafting of high school players has only been
controversial when the athlete does not pan out. However you can draft a
senior like Duke's Christian Laettner, who never lived up to his college hype.
Yeah he has had longevity as a NBA journeyman, but remember Laettner was
chosen over the underclassman Shaq for the original Dream Team.
As Stern calls out the last high school player taken
in the draft, hopefully a tear rolls from his eye. In a few tears when jersey
sales start to drop, Stern will look toward another "Chosen One" liken to Lebron
James who can rescue the day. However he will have to reverse his new favorite
rule, which makes it it harder to finish high school and leap to the NBA.
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