Re: Kids in the NBA

[jwt2@lehigh.edu (jwt2@lehigh.edu)]

John,

You make some good points, but I have to disagree with you.  First of all, a
lot of these "student athletes" are only in college because of basketball.  If
it were not for basketball they wouldn't have an interest in getting a degree,
nor would the college accept them.  The kids that are good students and care
about getting their degree are free to do so, and those who are not concerned
with wanting a college degree shouldn't have to go to college.  There's
nothing in any laws that says that everyone must have a college degree.

When you come from an environment where it's pretty much assumed that college
will be part of a kid's life (as I have and i'm assuming that you have also),
it's easy to forget that not everyone grows up in the same environment, and in
other areas of the state and country the majority of kids end up not going to
college.  College is not for everyone, so who are you an I to say that a kid
should be in college of the kid doesn't want to go?

I agree with you 100% about the agents and how they operate, but ultimately
the decision is left up to the kid.  For there to be any change in the trend
of HS kide applying for the NBA draft one of two things need to happen:
either the NBA teams have to stop drafting the kids (not likely to happen),
or they have to change the rookie salary cap rules.  Under the current rookie
salary cap, if a player is drafted in the first round he gets guaranteed
money for 3 years.  If a kid is picked in the first round he is guaranteed at
least 3 million dollars and up to 10 million dollars, depending on where in
the first round he is picked.  The player gets this money reguardless of how
he plays.  Some have suggested only guaranteeing money for the top 10 picks.
This will cause some of the agents to back off because if the player's salary
isn't guaranteed then neither is the agent's piece of the pie.

Sorry to ramble on, but I think that i've made my point - this is a free
country, and as long as there is an opportunity for someone to skip college
and play in the NBA, the kid should have a right to make that choice if that's
what he wants to do.

Jeff Tepper


>This from a non-US citizen:
>
>The consitution is a bunch of nonsense if it allows:
>
>a. everybody to bear arms
>b. everything that does no physical harm is within the law
>c. allow kids to skip school in favour of money
>
>Point a  and b is not within Celtics discussions, so I will skip it
>(although I must again voice my opinion of how stupid this gun law thing
>is. Anyone wanting a discussion on that can email to me). But allowing
>kids to get straight to the NBA is, in my opinion, a crime.
>
>How about the right to get an education? With these blood-sucking agents
>lurking around like vultures, do you think they would tell the kid,
>"hey! go to school and get an education!" oh sure, you can argue the kid
>has a choice. But say when you were three and your mother gave you a
>candy and said, "Yo! you can choose to forget the candy or ..." I am
>sure you would take the candy; 'cause in your world then, that candy
>counts more than even your parents! But is it the right choice? I don't
>think so.
>
>We got Walker this way, but I really think Tonie could use more
>maturaity -- both on and off the court. On the court, he could learn to
>play the game in a more mature way (such as not getting into a mood and
>going 3-for-21). Off it, he could learn to talk less trash.
>
>As for tennis, we all saw what happend to Jennifer. But anyone recalled
>a girl (well, she was a girl then!) named Tracy Austin?
>
>John Liang
>