Who are these four Guys?

The "Basketball for Thought" is a commentary by Kris Gardner.

February 1996

Kobe Bryant -- Ardmore, PA

Ronnie Fields -- Chicago, IL

Jermaine O'Neal -- Columbia, SC

Tim Thomas -- Patterson, NJ

Question: Who are these 4 guys?

Answer: The next group of young men thinking about skipping college and entering the NBA Draft.

Yes, all 4 are seniors in high school contemplating whether or not to declare for the NBA Draft in June. Of the 4, only Kobe Bryant has met his college entrance requirements.

Ronnie Fields, already tagged as the now cliched "next Michael Jordan", has made an oral commitment to DePaul University; however, he has yet to achieve the minimum standard scores on his college entrance exams.

Jermaine O'Neal, 6'11", 225, has come close to the minimum required test score. He has stated his decision to go pro will be easier to make if he doesn't make the scores.

Tim Thomas, 6'10", has athletic ability comparable to Scottie Pippen or Shawn Kemp; however, his mental focus during games has been questioned tremendously.

NBA scouts have seen these young men play and all agree they should not forego the college experience. Kobe Bryant, 6'6", 195, is said to be the most ready for the NBA right now because of his mental maturity and his father, Joe Bryant, had a career in the NBA.

What should NBA teams do?

Would it be fair to completely ignore these young men and not draft any high school kid ever again? If that happens, someone would assuredly file a lawsuit stating they are being deprived a chance at earning a living. However, if clubs continue attending high school games and selecting a high school kid in the draft, then the cycle will continue and eventually some high school freshman may want to try his luck. Granted the chances of that occurring are slim, but who knows?

What should high school seniors do?

Stay in school and perhaps not get an education because, either they are allowed to slide by based on who they are; or, they don't have the academic skills necessary to pass a class. After all, as long as they graduate high school, they are still eligible to appear in the NBA's public service announcements to "STAY IN SCHOOL: -- IT'S YOUR BEST MOVE."

The kids may announce their decision to enter the draft was based on the economic status of their family. If that is the case, how can one argue with that reasoning? Teams who may draft any high school player will be drafting him solely on potential. No one should expect any high school player to have an immediate impact on the NBA. Therefore, any team who does draft a high school senior is clearly not ready to make a run at the NBA championship. Added to that, under the new collective bargaining agreement, rookies can become free agents after their 3rd season in the league; consequently, by the time a high school senior has adapted to the NBA lifestyle, the club that selected him may lose him to another team. Wouldn't that be ironic?

Question: What would I do?

Answer: I don't know. Do you?