Age Limit Would Not be an Issue

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

July 1999

Commissioner David Stern has proposed an age limit of 20 years of age on players wishing to declare for the NBA Draft. Stern hopes the limit would reduce the number of high school players as well as college underclassmen, especially, freshmen and sophomores, from entering the NBA. The National Basketball Players Association rejected the proposal responding with a simple: "If the owners don't draft them, they won't be in the NBA." While the players' response is blunt, their point is clear: if the owners believe younger players entering the league is a problem, then the owners should do something about it. Any age limit would quickly be challenged in court; so, a limit is not a prudent solution.

Different proposals have been bandied about from the formation of a true developmental league sponsored by the NBA to a rookie pay scale where the more years a player stays in college the more money the player receives. A compromise of some sort should be reached in time for next year's draft.

It amazes me to hear all the complaints (from owners to fans) about how young the league has become. Yet, those same people will heap huge amounts of praise on a star underclassmen whose rights they just obtained.

Case in point, countless media people spoke loud and clear against Duke freshman swingman Corey Maggette's decision to enter the NBA Draft. They said: "he's not ready. He needs to return to school." However, those same people praised the Orlando Magic for acquiring Maggette in a draft day trade and blasted the Seattle Supersonics for trading Corey and obtaining veteran F Horace Grant in return. While no one questions Corey's athleticism, he is not yet a basketball player; consequently, he won't help Seattle's Gary Payton next season in the win column like Grant will. By the time Corey becomes a basketball player and not just an athlete, Payton may be retired.

Sonics' fans may love the trade today; however, if the Sonics don't return to their winning ways and Maggette becomes a star; then, they'll blast the trade with: "I knew we should have kept Maggette."

A look at the recent NBA playoffs shows only a handful of young players (3 years in the league or younger) had any postseason success: San Antonio's Tim Duncan and Philly's Allen Iverson led that group. Throughout the playoffs, media and basketball personnel spewed the same basic statement: "A team with veterans wins in the playoffs since veterans have the experience and they know what the playoffs are all about." If that statement is correct, then why are teams drafting high school players or college freshmen who clearly aren't ready to contribute to a team's success?

The aging (old) Indiana Pacers were a big disappointment in the playoffs; so, they have arranged a deal to acquire high school senior F Jonathan Bender for veteran F Antonio Davis which will become official in August. If center Rik Smits retires because of his chronic foot problems, the Pacers will have made a big mistake. Without Antonio and Smits, the Pacers would have Dale Davis, Sam Perkins, and mere pups in Bender, Al Harrington, Austin Croshere, and rookie Jeff Foster. (Now, there's a winning front court.)

If today's players actually played the game instead of dunked the highest, an age limit wouldn't be an issue.