Congress Has Waaay Too Much Time On Their Hands
Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen wants the NBA draft age limit removed, calling it “a vestige of slavery.” Strange phrasing, considering that this rule is barely four years old.
While I understand the racial argument he's trying to make, the fact of the matter is other sports like baseball and football have a system in place that prevents ultra raw athletes from entering too early and burning out due to things like bad practice habits. Basketball did not, and even when they created the Developmental League, the NBA was never really forceful about sending underdeveloped (or underachieving) players there.
It's within the context of dealing with 18-year-olds who need not only basketball fundamentals but life skills that the NBA enacted their age rule.
To use Cohen's analogy about the military: our armed forces don't just take youngsters off the street, give them a gun and put them in the middle of a war zone; they go through some kind of training or "boot camp." Can you imagine how the wars we're currently fighting would go if half of the young people their didn't learn how to fire their weapon, train to march across long distances, or weren't accustomed to waking up at 4 or 5am?
Rep. Cohen: if there's anything in the NBA that requires review, it's the officiating. Otherwise, you're better off concentrating on health care and the economy.
While I understand the racial argument he's trying to make, the fact of the matter is other sports like baseball and football have a system in place that prevents ultra raw athletes from entering too early and burning out due to things like bad practice habits. Basketball did not, and even when they created the Developmental League, the NBA was never really forceful about sending underdeveloped (or underachieving) players there.
It's within the context of dealing with 18-year-olds who need not only basketball fundamentals but life skills that the NBA enacted their age rule.
To use Cohen's analogy about the military: our armed forces don't just take youngsters off the street, give them a gun and put them in the middle of a war zone; they go through some kind of training or "boot camp." Can you imagine how the wars we're currently fighting would go if half of the young people their didn't learn how to fire their weapon, train to march across long distances, or weren't accustomed to waking up at 4 or 5am?
Rep. Cohen: if there's anything in the NBA that requires review, it's the officiating. Otherwise, you're better off concentrating on health care and the economy.
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