From Fox Sports’ Jeff Goodman :
NBA commissioner David Stern and NCAA president Myles Brand are in agreement that both sides would benefit from a rule that would require players to stay in college for at least two years before leaving early for the NBA.
According to sources, the proposal would still need to be passed through the NBA Players Association.
“It’s a big step for the owners and the commissioner to say they’re ready to bargain in good faith to get the rule passed,” said one college coach who wished to remain anonymous. “The NBA is willing to give up something to get this rule passed; we just don’t know what it is yet.”
The NBA adopted a 19-year-old age limit through the collective bargaining agreement which expires in 2010-11.
“According to sources”? Unless the Association plans to do away with collective bargaining, Stern has no choice but to seek union approval. And hopefully, he won’t be getting it this time. As Slam’s Marcel Mutoni points out, this is less about concern for the welfare and education of young ballers and all about “less money into the players™ pockets, and more of it into the corporations and the men that run them”.
I’m sure in the days ahead we’ll be reminded via sports yack radio that for evey Kobe/KG/LeBron that turned pro straight out of high school, there’s a Kwame, but that has little or nothing to do with the matter at hand. Adults — a good number of ’em non-white — will be denied the right to work and compete at the highest level. Perhaps they should have taken up tennis, golf or figure skating?