“One and Done” Rule of the NBA
Upon exploring the current National Basketball Association (NBA), it is clear that some of the greatest players in the history of the NBA did not attend college or university. Great players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant got drafted straight out of high school into the NBA. However, the NBA changed its rules, deciding that the association would not draft players out of high school. The “One and Done” rule indicated that draftees would be required to play at least one year of college or university or overseas play. Furthermore, the rule set the youngest age for participation in the league at 19 years. The necessity for the “one and done” rule remains unclear considering the great players who got drafted straight out of high school. LeBron James was drafted into the NBA as the Number One Overall Pick directly after graduating high school. Up to the current point of his illustrious career, James proceeded from his draft day to win multiple awards, including Rookie of the Year, four MVP Awards, three NBA Championships, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, and an NBA Scoring Title (Land of Basketball). Besides, another great player, Kobe Bryant, was also drafted directly out of high school. Bryant also proceeded to win multiple awards and championships within his dedicated twenty-year-long career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Therefore, the essay will discuss why the “one and done” rule has no relevance and why it should get eliminated.
Throughout the constant history of the NBA, players get drafted from high school and college level play as well as from international play. Nonetheless, masterful performances are showcased by high school draftees compared to college level and international play draftees. The NBA and National College Athletics Association (NCCA) argue in favor of the idea that players need to receive at least one level of college play before becoming eligible for the NBA Draft. Due to legal reasons, the two bodies did not technically issue the “one and under” idea in their rulings. However, what gets noted is that for a prospect to be eligible for the NBA Draft, he must be at least of the age of 19, and one year removed from his high school graduation date (NCCA). Granted, the players would not consider ignoring the sport they have devoted much of their lives to for an entire year. Thus, due to the “One-and-Done” Rule by NBA, before the completion of their senior year of high school, players begin to get scouted and recruited to basketball programs at the plethora of universities and colleges around the country. Considering all the information, it seems as if the “One-and-Done” Rule by NBA may have been put in place as a cash-grab for the colleges, or universities, that recruit, and sign high-level players; in exchange for expansion of the sport of basketball at the professional level, inevitably increasing revenue for the league. It can get easily interpreted as a solid, smart business move; yet it remains as inherently immoral and unethical.
The “one and under” rule threatens the overall wellbeing of the players who wish to enter the league. The rule gives great players more playing time before entering the league gives way to the opportunity of injury in tandem. Such strenuous activities wear the body down as the opposing challenges increase. The wearing down of these young players and can be detrimental to their future athletic careers. Such players are left to deal with the complete repercussions of the physical weariness, as they do not earn income at the college level. The case seems to primarily be that these players are being used to create revenue for the college institutions that they play for. In as much as it sounds like an intriguing and smart business move if one were to consider the fact that many of the high school draftees proceeded to carry out outstanding, wealthy careers that severely influenced the revenue of the individual, the team they play for, and the league itself. It could get noted that the morally positive decision would be to allow draftees that meet criteria for specific organizations to be drafted directly from high school should that be a wish.
One major issue with the “One-and-Done” Rule is that it opens the door to an increased risk of injury for the draftee before entrance into the league. Take for instance the case of Zion Williamson, who recently underwent an early-game injury to the knee. Williamson, Duke starting forward, had been drawing comparisons to some of the greatest in the history of basketball, including LeBron James, Charles Barkley, and Blake Griffin. The injury seemed, and was, disastrous such that many NBA Players took to the realm of social media to give their two cents about the event. One encapsulating tweet, made by NBA star Donovan Mitchell, quotes, “Again let us remember all the money that went into this game…and these players get none of it…and now Zion gets hurt…something has to change @NCAA”. Herein lies the moral and ethical problems are brought by the rule that the NBA has put in place for potential prospects. Not only is the young, talented, promising professional basketball career of Zion Williamson threatened by this injury; he is also not getting compensated for his play for Duke, all the while Duke University was raking in income due to the play of Zion and his teammates. This unlucky path could have been altered had the “One-and-Done” Rule not been in place, since
Williamson would have had access to a higher echelon of medical and training staff, dieting and all athletic gear. Such an incidence leads one to believe that the NCAA does not care about the future of the prospects that they place at the forefront of every coming year; and thus, calls into question the validity of the level of NBA care for its players.
Another problem with the “One-and-Done” Rule is the clear display of its lack of necessity. If the purpose of influencing NBA prospects out of high school to play at the college level is solely to provide them with higher level competition and training, then there would be little backing for credentialed NBA scouts and analysts to close in on draft classes that are a half-decade away from our current point. The ever-popular
LaMelo Ball is projected to be drafted at Number 3 in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards (Fisher). LaMelo is an extremely talented young prospect who got considered and prepped for NBA level play since his early ages of high school. He is the youngest of three brothers; Lonzo Ball who is currently in the NBA, budding elite point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, and LiAngelo Ball who recently reached a stalemate in his career as a shooting guard for University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Seeing as LaMelo received an esteemed amount of hype surrounding his name and, eventually becoming known as the best player of the three brothers, could one honestly perceive why he would necessarily need to be held back from the NBA directly after graduating high school? If the “One-and-Done” Rule were necessary, why would any NBA Scouts consider using their work time to view players who are in high school and not at the college level?
The “one and under” rule is nothing more than an immoral and unethical, yet intelligent business strategy to drive in more revenue and support for the basketball sport. As the NBA implemented the “One-and-Done” Rule, more and more players, staff, and fans alike began to realize what the reality of the rule was. The overall wellbeing of the players who risk their bodies to become eligible for professional play and increase their value as a player gets ignored by the rule. The rule is unethical in the sense that the NBA prospects do not receive any substantial compensation during college play. Unfortunately, it is the road most traveled by many NBA prospects as they seek to become eligible to play in the league. The value and physical effort go unrewarded as the institutions reap all the benefits while the candidates suffer all the physical weariness. While it is imaginable that these players much appreciate the competition, fan support, and training, it is also deserved and not the extent of what they deserve.
In conclusion, the “one and done” rule is a hindrance to many draftees who have to play at least one year at the college level before becoming eligible to join the league. Many renown players did not attend any college or university, yet their performance at the court is exemplary. The rule is more of a scheme to earn money for the higher learning institutions by exploiting the talents of the young prospects. Several prospects have suffered physical injuries while playing for their colleges or university which in turn jeopardizes their athletic career. The saddest part is that the prospects do not receive any substantial compensation for their play from their institutions. It seems as if the organizations are taking advantage of great prospective players and risking their physical health, masking it as “providing young players with the ‘next level’ of play.”
Works Cited
Land of Basketball. Land of Basketball. Wednesday April 2019 <https://www.landofbasketball.com/index.htm>
NCCA. The One and Done Dilemma. 2018. April 2019 <http://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/the-one-and-done-dilemma/>
Fisher, Ben. “The Sportster.” 25 December 2018. Projecting The Top 7 Picks Of The 2019, 2020, And 2021 NBA Drafts. 17 April 2019 https://www.thesportster.com/basketball/projecting-top-picks-of-next-three-nba-drafts/#