A HEATEDDEBATE
In2007, theNationalBasketbal wouldnotonlyafrontthedeeprootedvalues A sociationoficialyintroducedandenacted dominating North American culture, but aregulationwhichdecreedthataldraftees wouldalsoenragethegeneralpopulation. mustbeeither19yearsofageorhaveatleast Moreover, a fear of encouraging African-American’ s, theracethatthe122yearold oneyearofcolegeexperiencetoqualifyfor theNBADraft. Longbeforetheimplementationofthisruleitwasawelknownfactthat atainingsportfameandluxurythaneduca-
sportatractsmost, to focusmore so on
theNBA and NationalColegiateAthletic tion, deterstheleaguefrom amending its A sociation( NCAA) gavepreferencetothose rules. playerswhohadcolegeexperience. Thisis Argument2: Maturity demonstrably justified by the startling Theerraticandundevelopedbehaviourof numberofcolegegraduatesanddrop-outs DarrylDawkins, ahigh schooldrafteeof whodominantlycomprisetheleague. While 1975, leadsmanytobelievethatthoseathleteswith theNBAfirmlystandsitsground, manyofi- litlelifeexperienceareinade- cials, players, andpotentialhighschooldraftquatelypreparedtoplayinthepros. Young
eesopposeanddisasembletheleaguesargu- ments. Belowaretheconvincingarguments athletes, especialythosewhoareemotional- ofbothsides. Whichsidedoyousupport?
ly and mentaly underdeveloped, are far morevulnerabletoengageinbehaviourthat cannotonlytarnishtheirindividualathletic
FortheRule image, butalsotheimageoftheirteam. Argument1: Culturalandsocietalvalues Argument3: Weaktechniques Forcountlesdecades, enrolmentataninstitutionafterhighschoolforaladolescentlegebasketbalexperienceoftenareunderde-
Manyoficialsarguethatthosewithnocol- hasbeenfirmlyembeddedwithintheCanadianandAmericanpsyche. IftheNBAwereto toearnaspotintheprosfreshoutofhigh
velopedintheirskil. Thoseplayersseeking makeacontinuouspracticeofdraftingathletesimmediatelyfolowinghighschool, it schoolfailtounderstandthatcolegeserves asabeneficialtraininggroundwhereskils
15 HoopsMagazine2013