NBA's One and Done Rule is a Joke

When intelligent men with power devise against simple men without, injustices can easily occur and are often ignored.

That's where we are right now with the mandatory one-year college tour the NBA imposes on high school seniors. That's why we've only seen a few minutes on NBA Live and one Outside the Lines feature devoted to the age discrimination.

That's how one of the biggest injustices - and outright jokes - in sports is being openly ignored.

The NBA is the only professional sports association that requires high school seniors to wait one year before becoming eligible. The only other professional league that demands collegiate training is the NFL, which requires potential draftees to be three years removed from high school graduation before becoming eligible. But the NBA is more different from the NFL than the two Star Wars trilogies. The increased physicality and intellectual necessity makes the NFL's rule logical.

Don't tell me the One and Done rule is a good thing because it minimizes risk, either. David Stern's job is to be the NBA's commissioner, not a baby sitter. A high school kid who wants to forgo college needs to be mature and responsible enough to make a grown-up decision. We need to remember most of these kids - not all of them, but the vast majority - come from underprivileged families. If they've gathered enough information to give them confidence they can receive a fat paycheck, no one should keep them from that opportunity.

The problem for the NBA, and the trend that led to this illogical rule, was too many high school players were becoming busts in the NBA. To minimize the risk for NBA franchises, Stern put the One and Done rule into affect. Maybe Stern's heart was in the right place, but his legislation was faulty.

Instead of making things easier on NBA teams by outlawing high school draftees, Stern should have challenged general managers to be more responsible in their decision-making. Instead of making high school kids experience a year full of unnecessary risks in college, he should have forced scouting departments to work more diligently.

The proof is in the pudding.

The NBA just concluded perhaps the greatest postseason of my lifetime. But what made this year's Playoffs so great? More than the plethora of monumental moments, renewed rivalries, ultra-competitive series, Game 7's, buzzer beaters and eye-popping performances, it was the depth of superstars. Look at the 10 best players still lacing them up in the Conference Finals: Kobe, LeBron, Dwight, 'Melo, Gasol, Billups, Odom, Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and J.R Smith.

Notice something all but three players have in common? Seven of these guys didn't play a lick of college basketball. Five, including three players selected to the First Team All-NBA squad, jumped to the league straight from high school. Two were playing professionally in Europe when they were in their teens. Two played only a single season in college. Chauncy Billups was the only one who played multiple seasons of college ball.

Call me crazy, but that says something.

I understand for every Kobe Bryant or LeBron James there are 10 Kwame Browns or Jonathan Benders. But for every Tim Duncan or Dwyane Wade there are 10 Michael Olowokandis or Rafael Araujos. Greatness isn't something you acquire; it's something you're born with. Superstars will be superstars no matter when they jump to the professional level. Busts will be busts no matter what age they're drafted.

Another thing we need to remember is these are, in fact, high school kids. How long did we think it would take until a player like Brandon Jennings would find a loophole to exploit the system? High school kids ALWAYS find a way to get what they want, even if the path they choose is less than ideal.

I have no problem with Jennings' choice to go overseas. It worked out well for him. The kid still ended up being a top 10 selection with three seasons of guaranteed money. The problem is when players like Jeremy Tyler choose to play in Europe before graduating from high school. It's hard enough to fall back on a high school degree in today's economy. Sans a college and high school diploma? It's downright brutal.

Maybe Tyler's path will take him to the NBA. Maybe it won't. But after Thursday night's draft, two things are clear: Many more high school players will exploit the loophole in the NBA's One and Done rule (especially players who aren't ready), and Stern needs to keep his ego in check to prevent this from happening.