Recently, the NBA defended their minimum age requirement policy to Congress. Even though both sides talked, nothing was exactly resolved.
The NBA requires players to at least play one year of college before they can enter their names in the NBA draft.
The NFL requires its draft entrants to be out of high school for a minimum of three years before entering their names in the NFL draft.
I believe the NFL's purpose for this rule is to make sure the players are fit enough to compete at the highest level. The only exception I found to the NFL's rule is if a player is red-shirted in his college career, he can enter the NFL draft "early". Meaning, if a college player was red-shirted his freshman year, he doesn't play that entire first season. Once he isn't a red-shirt player anymore, he is considered a red-shirt freshman. Academically, he is a sophomore.
I believe the NBA needs to address the NFL-style rule to their policies. Fans who watch the NBA see how some of the players who thought they were good enough to compete at the highest level, end up becoming draft busts.
The solution should be that if a high school player wants to make the jump to the NBA, they should let him. But, if that player chooses college, he must play for at least two years to develop his skill so he could play at the highest level.
I understand that these professional leagues are also businesses. But if the business doesn't put out a product that fans want to see time and time again, they are essentially losing money by not placing the best players in their league.
There is a reason why football is the most popular sport in America. The NBA needs to take lessons from the NFL if they want to fight for supremacy as the most popular sport in America.
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