2008 Woodie Awards
As I See It
Risk and reward of pro sports
Dan McCallion
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Sports
In the modern age of sports increasingly becoming a business investment rather than purely athletic competition, the question of which career path to take is increasingly difficult for athletes. More than any other, this debate is uniquely related to basketball. In both hockey and baseball, players frequently play in either college or the minor leagues before making their national debuts years later. In football, it is almost unheard of for a player to not play in college for at least two years before going to the NFL. The size, strength, speed and skill required to play the pro game is exponentially higher than at any other level, and there is in this instance no substitute for experience.
But basketball is in a singular position. Every year, there is a debate over whether or not younger players should be allowed to be drafted to the NBA. Legislation passed in 2006 prohibited any player from entering the draft if they are under 19 years of age and if their high school class is one full year removed from graduation. This has led to an increase in one-and-done players, those talented few who would normally turn pro but instead star in college for one year and only then go money-hunting in the big league.
Today's procedure is a far cry from 40 years ago, when even hardwood legends such as "Pistol" Pete Maravich and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, then known as Lew Alcindor, were forced to play on the freshman team their first year in college instead of the varsity. The late-1980s and early-1990s saw a massive influx of prep school ballers enter the NBA early, with mixed results. For every successful Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James, there are innumerable failed examples such as Korleone Young, Ousmane Cisse and Ndudi Ebi.
The gamble taken by many young talents is, to be sure, greater for some than for others. Let's take Kevin Durant of the Seattle Sonics, for example. He took one year at the University of Texas, averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds per game, was 2007 AP player of the year, a Naismith Award winner and a unanimous All-American. At 6' 9" and 220 pounds, he can run the fast break, he can work with his back either facing towards or away from the hoop, he can shoot the three and he can beat you off the dribble. For Durant, going pro was a fine decision. It is not for every young player with raw, unpolished talent in one area. Unless, like Durant, you have a complete game that is more often seen in men 10 years older, you should stay in school.
But basketball is in a singular position. Every year, there is a debate over whether or not younger players should be allowed to be drafted to the NBA. Legislation passed in 2006 prohibited any player from entering the draft if they are under 19 years of age and if their high school class is one full year removed from graduation. This has led to an increase in one-and-done players, those talented few who would normally turn pro but instead star in college for one year and only then go money-hunting in the big league.
Today's procedure is a far cry from 40 years ago, when even hardwood legends such as "Pistol" Pete Maravich and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, then known as Lew Alcindor, were forced to play on the freshman team their first year in college instead of the varsity. The late-1980s and early-1990s saw a massive influx of prep school ballers enter the NBA early, with mixed results. For every successful Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James, there are innumerable failed examples such as Korleone Young, Ousmane Cisse and Ndudi Ebi.
The gamble taken by many young talents is, to be sure, greater for some than for others. Let's take Kevin Durant of the Seattle Sonics, for example. He took one year at the University of Texas, averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds per game, was 2007 AP player of the year, a Naismith Award winner and a unanimous All-American. At 6' 9" and 220 pounds, he can run the fast break, he can work with his back either facing towards or away from the hoop, he can shoot the three and he can beat you off the dribble. For Durant, going pro was a fine decision. It is not for every young player with raw, unpolished talent in one area. Unless, like Durant, you have a complete game that is more often seen in men 10 years older, you should stay in school.
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