Steve9347

The NBA doesn't give a f*** what the players do with their money as long as it doesn't get in the news (ie hookerznblow), and I doubt they care if they go broke after they retire. The NBA wants to protect its product, and that's the sole reason these kids can't jump.

This is a silly little tangent you've all gone off on recently. There are stupid people and there are smart people across all walks of life. There are stupid basketball players who burn their cash and don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. There are smart NBA players who save money and don't knock up 16 women. None of that has anything to do with this. The NBA set an age restriction on its private league to protect their on-floor product. They are entitled to this. One player getting injured and watching his draft stock drop from 1 to 5 won't change that.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 03:23 PM) And I dont know whether or not $8mil is a big deal to you, to most people that is a pretty big deal. If you make $50k a year, that is over 100 years of income. So Im not really agreement that $8mil isnt a big deal. Nerlens Noel wasn't going to go #1 in last year's draft. He'd likely have been around Andre Drummond territory at #9. Also, yes, to some slob making $50k, that's a f***ton of money. But you have to compare apples to apples - this would be a 50k person possibly getting 71k. Yes, it's a big difference, but it's not life-changing. In the end, the NBA having these rules allows him to slip to a dogs*** draft, where he might have gone #1, will now go #5, and will make more money on his rookie deal than if he'd come out last year.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 02:15 PM) Steve, I dont think you understand how bargaining power works. If I am a rich person, I can hire any agent, lawyer I want, I have the money. If I am a poor person, I may be able to hire any agent, lawyer I want, it depends on if I have the right case/talent etc. People with money are almost always likely to be better represented than people without money. Just because they have an "agent" doesnt mean they have a good one. Ricky Williams hired Masta P. Im pretty sure if Ricky had some money already and could hire outside counsel, they would have told him that was a very very stupid idea. And I have explained why the NBA doesnt want to deal with people coming in who are already rich and entitled. Its always easier to control someone who has very little. If they dont have the money to lord over their heads, theyd have even more trouble keeping these guys in line. Stop f***ing talking down to me just because you're wrong. Top 10 NBA picks get pro bono agent work given their assumed millions. As for the bolded, the moment they sign an NBA contract they are rich and entitled.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:37 PM) No but people with money generally are able to get better counsel who can negotiate better for them. I dont think its a big concern, I just think all things being considered the NBA would prefer that they are being sent poor kids who have very little ability to negotiate on their own. All of these players have agents well before they get their first NBA contract.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:35 PM) Zoom, But the NBA doesnt want players being paid in NCAA, for a variety of reasons. Well, one of your ideas was debunked (competing salary-wise for a player, which the NCAA can't do) - so what's just one other reason the NBA doesn't want players being paid in the NBA? You know, since there are a variety of reasons.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:28 PM) So that law is basically saying that a woman can play in the NBA, and a man can play in the WNBA? We finally found a leauge where Kwame could dominate. 48/35 with 23 blocks per game. First overall pick in next year's WNBA Fantasy Leagues!

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:27 PM) You can disagree with my argument, but as I said, its merely because you selfishly want the NBA product to be good. While true that I adore the NBA and want the product to be "good", I really respect the right of the NBA to do what it wants with its private league.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:25 PM) Steve, Even private employers cant discriminate based on race/religion/sex. http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/coverage_private.cfm http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; So how does the NBA get away with it? No women, no 18 year olds.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:24 PM) What if an 8 year old alien from Krypton came here and wanted to play basketball and was physically mature enough to do so?

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:19 PM) No the NBA would care. Because they would then have to play NBA players more. If a college kid is making $10mil a season, then a NBA player has to make $10mil +. If LSU is going to pay Shaq $50mil to stay 1 more year, how much does the Magic have to offer to get him to leave? So it could very well impact the NBA salary ranges, which the NBA is trying to deflate. You are the king of unrealistic examples.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:17 PM) Yes your very clever "I want the NBA to be good so I dont care what happens to people as long as I get a good NBA product" is such a mighty argument that I am not sure how I can respond. But that's just it and that's how the NBA thinks. It's their private league and they can do with it what they want. You made a point about age discrimination - they are private. There are clubs out there that still don't allow African Americans. The US government age discriminates for the presidency. You can do what you want. The NBA, of course, does not discriminate against black people anymore because they do care about marketing reasons. Sex discrimination is illegal, but the NBA doesn't allow women to play. They have their own set of rules and don't answer to you, to the NCAA, or to Nerlens Noel.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:14 PM) Both the NCAA and NBA want the best players in the NCAA getting as little money as possible. The NBA wouldn't care one bit if the NCAA decided to pay players - they just want to ensure their best possible on-court product for marketing, ratings, and attendance.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:11 PM) No it makes absolute sense if you actually understand the argument. Yes, clearly this is my fault and it's not the fact that your argument sucks.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:06 PM) Did I say he was being screwed? Did I say it was an example of being screwed? No. I was using him as an example of an injury working out, to show that even in that situation I dont think he made the right decision. It was very specific and I had to use an example of a player who chose to stay and got injured. It makes it completely pointless to post what you did when making your argument. On the contrary, it shows (just like with Noel who will easily still go top 5 next year), that if a player who has tremendous upside gets hurt in college, a team will still draft him based on that upside even if he gets injured.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 12:02 PM) It was his choice. He wanted to stay. I just was saying that (imo) that was a really unnecessary risk. And while as a Wisconsin fan, I loved him playing, as a human I was considerably worried that he may be risking millions of dollars over college athletics. So your example that you decided to post when we are discussing kids being screwed or not by the system and losing potential millions because he was forced to stay in school was a player who chose to stay in school, got drafted 12th overall, and banked $12 million.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 11:54 AM) And what does that do for the people who are already in league? It puts a barrier up against the competition from outsiders. Hence you keep the people outside, down. This is why the NBA/NFL players have no problem with it. It lessons competition by restricting supply. Id think people who are free market economists wouldnt like this type of market manipulation. Yes, I'm sure Shaq was just terrified of Kwame Brown and that's why the league made sure no more Kwames came around.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 11:52 AM) If NBA executives cant keep their dick in their pants over 18 year olds, thats their problem, no reason to punish the kid who is getting generational wealth, so much that potentially his grandchildren would never have to work. If it makes the on-court product suffer and the ratings go down and the interest in the league dwindle, then it's a problem. Hence why the NBA created the rule in the first place.

Lee Evans banked almost $12 million in straight cash from the NFL.

I've made my point - I prefer a good NBA product, and so does the NBA and that's why they made this rule for their private league. All this did was save the Raptors from dealing with a defense only, 14mpg player blowing out his ACL. That's good for the NBA.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 11:37 AM) I hate the NCAA as much as the next guy, but paying athletes IMO is a terribly stupid idea and would absolutely kill everything that's special about college sports. I'm fine with schools profiting off of a few star athletes. More people profit from that system. Successful college teams and interest in the NCAA allows scholarships to be given across all sports - women's/men's etc. Great point. BUT OH NO NERLENS NOEL WILL ONLY GO 5TH IN THE DRAFT INSTEAD OF 1ST OH NOOOO WHAT WILL HE DO WITH HIS LIFE?!

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 11:36 AM) Steve, Why arent you listing all the bad picks that went to college? Someone drafted Sam Bowie over MJ. Someone drafted Oden over Durant. I think there are more bad picks than good picks, and since the majority of picks went to college... Yes, but there's zero doubt that the college players who have more experience can contribute meaningful bench minutes regardless, and aren't complete wastes crushing the on-court game. Everyone here has been talking about how great the game is now compared to the era that was crushed by players jumping straight to the pros over in the NBA thread, now you all want to see that ruined because a guy got hurt in college while getting tons of national publicity and free room and board. It's not a travesty.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 11:27 AM) Well, there's Kobe, Garnett, Howard and others. But if they can't evaluate HS talent, then a good GM shouldn't draft them. Problem solved. Kobe went 13th behind perennial greats such as Lorenzen Wright, Samaki Walker, Erick Dampier, Todd Fuller and Vitaly Potapenko. There was legitimate discussion of Dwight vs Emeka. KG went 5th. Meanwhile, teams spent years on wasted picks like Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Darius Miles, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Jonathan Bender, DeSagna Diop, Robert Swift, Martell Webster, Dorrell Wright, Leon Smith, DeShawn Stevenson, Travis Outlaw, Ndudi Ebi, Robert Swift, Sebastian Telfair, CJ Miles - all the while the product on the floor suffered. Meanwhile, we're in the midst of one of the best eras of entertainment the NBA has ever seen, but Nerlens Noel clumsily flies into a basketball hoop and now the rules have to go back to that garbage? Pass. s*** happens.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 11:23 AM) Right, he could have left the country for a year to go make less money than he would if he were allowed to play in the NBA. Why does that make any sense? If NBA teams were drafting s*** HS talent for a few years, that's on them. They got by for years without having this age restriction. He's not allowed to play in the NBA. He could also legally have alcoholic beverages in Europe, something he's not allowed to do here. It's obvious that outside of Lebron James, no one can evaluate high schoolers, so f***'em. God forbid they get a year of free college or paid to play overseas.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 11:20 AM) Steve, You are looking for a new job right? Imagine if before you could get your new job, they told you that you had to take mind altering drugs for the next year, and while 90% of the time it did nothing and youll be fine, 10% of the time it made you useless and youll get no job. Would you think thats fair? Or would you just prefer to be paid today, instead of taking the 10% chance that you wont be employable next year? I cant imagine youd prefer the no reward complete risk option. Because lets be honest 1 year of college isnt even worth $1mil, let alone $10mil which is what he could have gotten for the life of just 1 contract. This is the dumbest, most irrelevant post I've read in awhile.