Brandon Jennings vs. The NBA Business

When the NBA implement it's new rule that players had to be one year out of high school before they entered the league, I felt it was completely unfair, unnecessary and beneficial to only for one thing: the NBA. When this rule was implemented, I also knew that someone would come along and challenge this rule in some way because it is simply unfair. That is where Brandon Jennings has done. Jennings who is one of the top point guards in the country and would definitely had been a lottery pick in the is years NBA draft is debating skipping college and playing overseas for money until he is eligible to enter the NBA draft. Jennings, who has a scholarship to play at Arizona, may not be eligible for college becasue of his low SAT scores. Jennings has also made it clear he is not big on going to college. So here is where the option of going overseas to play comes in. I ask however, why should Jennings be forced to make that decision if he does not want to go to school and just wants to play basketball? and Why should Jennings have to settle to play overseas when he is good enough to play in the NBA?

The NBA says it has implemented the rule to create a more mature and stable NBA player and to prepare young players for the riggers of NBA life. I think that is just a cop out. The NBA is has implemented the rule for one reason and that is to control its players and to control its business. The NBA does not want to risk its image and money on young players, who could possible get in trouble or who may never reach their potential. They rather invest there money into foreign talent or older players, who are less talented, but have a better image. This is unfair to the young high school players, who are good enough. These are still young adults that should be allowed to make their own decisions. One year of college is not going to make someone more mature or a better basketball player. One year of college can essentially do the opposite in both regards. Why should these players be forced to attend college when their hearts are not into attending college? If their hearts are into basketball let them pursue their dreams.

Either way its a gamble. If a player goes to college or to the NBA, its a gamble. However, its less of a gamble for the NBA if they do not accept players who are out of high school. It's not a question of maturity. A person can be any age and be immature. Look at the behavior of some of the NBA's veterans (Shaq's Kobe freestyle). Young people are not scrutinzed in othee professions or held back from making money. Taking acting or music, Miley Cyrus, Lil' Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Rihanna, these are all college aged or young students making millions and millions of dollars and no one is questioning their maturity or encouraging them to get an education. They are doing what they love and we all praise them for it. But when it comes to a basketball player, who wants to make to make a decent living for his family and himself, he is immature and needs to get an education, and the NBA pretends that they have their best interest at heart. I praise Brandon Jennings for his courage to do what he wants and to bring up this unfair issue again. I just hope he isn't blackballed by the caring NBA business for his decisions.