The one-and-done rule is one that’s been a popular topic in basketball ever since the NBA made it a requirement for draftees to be one year removed from high school (their graduating class) in order to be eligible to be selected.
Of course displeasure with the rule has led to assigning blame to the incorrect outlets, from coaches such as John Calipari (it’s not his rule) to the NCAA (not theirs either).
This has been the doing of the NBA, but that doesn’t mean that commissioner David Stern is the one who put the current rule in place either.
Commissioner Stern was on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday morning to discuss a number of issues in the league, and the current situation involving the NBA Draft came up.
Stern’s preference would be that players have to be at least two years removed from high school in order to be eligible for the NBA Draft.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” remarked Stern when asked by Patrick. “I think it would be a great idea to change it to two-and-done.
“Everyone I hear from- players actually, college coaches, NBA teams- everyone says its a good idea except for the union, whose consent is necessary to change it. So what I tell people to do is, ‘Don’t call me, call their union.’”
Stern isn’t in favor of going back to the days where a player could enter the draft directly out of high school either, so don’t expect that to happen anytime in the near future.
If anything these comments put the ball in the National Basketball Players Association’s court, and from their standpoint why wouldn’t they want two-and-done to become the rule?
Franchises in theory get more seasoned players ready to make an impact upon entering the NBA, and wouldn’t the union want better players on the floor as well?
But these are tumultuous times for the NBPA, with Billy Hunter leading calls for Derek Fisher’s resignation and a recent report of Hunter looking to use union funds to invest in a bank that his son has ties to.
However that all shakes out the NBA and NBPA will have some things to discuss in regards to an age limit in the near future, and it’s pretty clear where Commissioner Stern stands on the matter.
h/t to Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com
Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.
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- critter69 - Apr 28, 2012 at 6:43 PM
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There is a lot of talk about 4-year scholarships. That would be ENTIRELY in the NCAA’s hands. No NBA involvement. No NBAPA involvement.
Right now, I’m against it, but I might be persuaded to agree, IF:
1. Keep current limits on number of scholarships available; AND
2. If a school doesn’t hand out four-year scholarships, each one less than four years would be one less in the total available in future years until the less than four-year scholarship has ‘worked it’s way though the system (in other words, 13 scholarships are available each year. Give a ‘one year’ scholarship, in years 2, 3 and 4, no scholarship would be available for that slot); AND
3. If a student-athelete accepts a four-year scholarship, then leaves the school early, they are responsible to paying to the school (the school can decide what to do with the money) the value of the scholarship PLUS penalty and interest (and both VERY significant, not just window dressing).
