The Drubbing

A year and a half after the Mitchell Report solved absolutely nothing [see Manny Ramirez]. And a month after Congressional representatives made good on their promise to hold hearings on the College Football Bowl Championship Series. Another elected politician is taking aim at the sporting world to right a wrong that is at the bottom of the voting public’s wish list.

This time Representative Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat has had enough of the NBA’s minimum age limit. He calls the league’s 19 years old and one year removed high school an “unfair restriction on the rights of these young men to pursue their intended career.” In a letter he asked NBA commissioner David Stern and union leader Billy Hunter omit the requirement from the next collective bargaining agreement. And the member of the House Judiciary Committee told the AP that he would consider both hearings and legislation if the league didn’t comply.

Not even touching upon whether this is a good use of the taxpayer’s time, Cohen states that “does far more to serve the financial interests of the universities at which the students play than the educational interests of the students themselves.” But doesn’t happen to mention that his request does far more to serve the financial interest of the students over their educational interests or their physical and mental well-being. Or the fact that every single player he mentions that has been involved in scandal (O.J. May, Derrick Rose, etc.) had the option to go play in Europe instead of taking money from a potential coach or allegedly having someone else take their SAT’s. But Cohen has never been a fan of letting businesses run themselves.

Cohen will have his work cut out for himself, and we may be set for a showdown. Stern has said for a while that he’d like the age limit to be raised to 20 years old, or two years removed from college. Cohen is quick to cite the NBA Finals this year as a showdown between Kobe and Dwight, two players that entered the NBA right from college, and would’ve been just as happy if LeBron had made it since he two was successful making the jump. But for every LeBron, Dwight and Kobe there’s a Kwame Brown, Shaun Livingston, Korleone Young, Ousmane Cisse, Leon Smith, Jonathen Bender and Darko Miličić. A veritable who’s who of New Jersey gas station attendants. And that doesn’t include the kids that enter the draft from high school but don’t even get drafted.

Darko is already working on his post-NBA plans

Cohen also references the NFL’s three years removed from high school age restriction, but states no plans to target that league. He also cites the lack of age limits in baseball, tennis, golf and swimming (all white sports in his words) and alleges that racism may be the culprit. But he makes no mention of the lack of physicality in all of these sports that is the more likely reason.

Jermaine O’Neal and Al Harrington were both references as advocates for Cohen’s intervention. Interestingly enough, they’re both prime candidates for age limits. The scrawny O’Neal didn’t become a productive member of an NBA team until his 5th season. And Al Harrington in his 4th, although he wasn’t a starter until his fifth.

The age limit isn’t popular with everyone, but the financial justification for it’s elimination doesn’t tread water. Any one of these players can go play professionally at nearly any age in any number of countries around the world. The NBA isn’t discriminating against high school athletes anymore than Harvard discriminated against me and my SAT scores (which I earned on my own) when I sent in my college applications. The real problem lies with the NBA D-League. If high school age players had the opportunity to go play there, or over in Europe for a year or two, then they’d have the financial opportunities they’re looking for, and the NBA would have the mature athletes and young men that they seek to employ in the NBA.