What do you think about Kevin Durant and other freshmen in collage skipping to the NBA?

Question

Texas freshmen Kevin Durant had just made his choice of going to the NBA ... AFTER ONLY ONE YEAR IN COLLAGE!!! What do you think about his choice and others? Don't you think players should play all 4 years in collage and get a degree?

Answer 1

Short answer, yes. Long answer, they may be coming out early because they are seen as the main provider in their family. It's not an excuse, but if you have the chance to make millions right now, not many people are going to turn that down. I applaud Jochim Noah for staying in school. If pro sports had strict guidelines about what age a person had to be, or how long they had to be out of high school before they could apply for a draft, we might see even better players. How much better would LeBron or Kobe be if they went to college. College isn't only preparing them for the pros, but it's helping them adjust to becoming an adult. Kobe in the last couple of years has started to mature. He was 18 when he started playing for the Lakers, on a team of 25-35 year old men. There is no way he could have been prepared for that kind of life. I think players should be at least 3 years removed from high school. They don't have to get a degree, just at least be on their own for more than a year. In the past, the only way the NBA would allow someone to enter the draft before their junior year of college was if they got a hardship waiver, meaning his family was in dire need at that time. Things changed with the ABA, and their signing of Moses Malone right out of high school. It took him a while to get adjusted too.

Answer 2

Either they should be allowed into the NBA immediately after high school or not until they are at least a junior in college.

Baseball has a good idea: you can sign with a pro team out of high school but if you go to college you can't sign again until after your junior year. What makes this even more interesting is that baseball has its own farm system -- few players go straight to the majors even after a stellar high school or four year college career -- so you'd think baseball wouldn't care WHEN you signed up. And of course for the players if you sign up you're going to play professionally somewhere, even if its in the minor leagues. In the NBA once you've gone through the draft process there's no guarantee you're going to stick with a team -- and there's no turning back to college if you don't (in baseball you can stay in the minors and at least earn a paycheck forever).

As for Kevin Durant or Greg Oden: they've done their teams no big favors if they stay only a single year. Why go through the mascarade? College students are in it for a degree. A Durant or an Oden are mercenaries -- you can bet Durant has been to his last class at Texas already and Oden is no more than two weeks from his last classroom appearance. What's the point? Just let'em go pro after high school, get the pretenders out of the way and let the REAL college athletes take over.

Answer 3

no i don't. he has the opportunity now to make millions playing a game he loves. most athletes don't graduate anyways. it's not like big time D-1 sports are a hobby, it's basically like having a full-time job on top of school. and if a player suffers a career-ending injury while in college, they then have very few options left. for example, shaun livingston of the clippers a few weeks ago tore up his knee so badly it's doubtful that he will play again. he was the number 4 pick out of high school 3 years ago, so he got a great contract that's guaranteed. he would have been a junior at duke, but since he's had some problems with injuries during his first 2.5 years in the league, it's almost certain that he would not have been drafted, and now after 3 years in college, he would have had almost no chance at playing basketball again. however, he did go early, and so now, his family at least has the financial stability to wait and see what happens with his knee. you have no right to judge the decisions of others when they have the opportunity make millions to play a game. i don't believe that players should be made to play all 4 years, because it's silly, the "amateur" system is a joke anyway, and the risks are too high. sure it would be nice if guys stayed, but forcing the issue is a stupid and uninformed decision

Answer 4

I don't agree with the fact that college athletes can attend 1 year of school and then enter the NBA draft. However; it is the player's choice to do so. I believe in getting a college education and degree 1st. Many of these athletes are blinded by the MILLIONS of dollars in contracts and endorsements that they fail to see 15-20 years down the road when they are broke has-been all-stars with little or no education to fall back on. I know that they probably see entering the NBA as a way to better both their family's and their own lives, but money always comes and goes.

Answer 5

Kevin was only taking one class to play ball till the NBA, at that rate he'd have his degree by 50. I don't think he should play in college anymore, because it won't increase his stock hardly. He risks injury, what if he tears an ACL, his stock drops, or worst he ends up like Shaun Livingston. Also why would he return to a Texas squad that failed to recruit any bigs to help in the post, much less recruit any top players like Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Mike Beasely, etc. He's done as much as he could, and we should be thankful he played at least a year of college ball. He will only get better in the NBA, because he only become better by facing the best. Sure, he''l be very perimeter oriented at first but if he adds 15-20 lbs., we'll see a Dirk or KG in a couple of years. Go NBA!!!

Answer 6

Durant is a guarenteed top two pick. There would be no reason for him to return and jeopardize an injury and millions he will make for himself in the future. I am all for players getting their degrees, but if there is a player that is a guarenteed top five pick, they should enter and can go back and get their degrees later. Many players have done this.

Having said that, I think there should be a rule similar to college football that players have to stay in college for at least two years. For one, it would make basketball more interesting knowing that a stud player will be back next year and will build hype. Two, the players will be more polished once they enter the NBA and will be able to make more of a contribution. The one year rule is nice, but two would be more beneficial for both sides.

Answer 7

Get the money while you can u can always go back to school n get your degree, however its not a certain that u will always make it into the league. What happens if you have a tremendous year n get hurt during the road to the final four? Nba scouts will be a little skeptical about drafting high as they would have before the injury, especially if its a knee injury, your stock drops, not to mention your confidence. Get that bread while you can

Answer 8

Unless NCAA is willing to bend its rule a little bit in regards to student/athlete income, I have no problem with it. These kids are just trying to get the most out of their career which can average about 10 years. The sooner you get in, the better.

I personally don't like it b/c I think most kids jump to the NBA too early. They can develop better in the college level faster and probably be a better player. I don't like it but I don't have a problem with it.

The only option is to have the NBA have same policy as the NFL in regards to the age requirement but I don't see the NBA doing that since some of those kids are definitely more talented and physically able to play in that level, just not refine.

Answer 9

For 99% of athletes, I would say they should get a degree. Durant is one of the few who will definetly be able to succeed physically and financially without 4 years of college. He won't use his degree in life, and if he leaves early it frees up a scholarship for Texas to give to someone else, maybe someone who WILL need a degree

Answer 10

Yes they should, but still, age matters in the NBA and the younger you go in, the better since you will be able to be in the league longer. In depends on their priorities I guess. Most college ball players don't go to college to study, they go there to get experience and be seen by scouts. But if an education is more important to them than entering the league as soon as they can, then they should finish by all means.