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« Tuesday « April 12, 2005
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Pacers' O'Neal: Racism behind age-limit proposal
(ESPN.com)
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Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal said he thinks racism might have something to do with the NBA's desire to put an age limit in the next collective bargaining agreement.Racism surrounds the people in this society of ours like water surrounds a fish in the ocean, there's just no getting around that fact. But it doesn't mean that every action in this society is overtly or deliberately racist.
Maybe if Jermaine had gone to college for a couple of years, he'd have a view of the world that's, uh, less black-and-white. Of course this proposed move by the NBA is motivated by economic realities - it is business, after all -- but it will help all players have longer careers, since these high-school "projects," as almost all are, won't take roster spots from vets. But the proposed change is also about making the game better. Sometimes, the quality of NBA games is so poor that it's almost unwatchable. Why? Because a lot of these players are just too raw, and they could use a year or two of polishing in college. No matter how good a baller under the age of 20 may be, the odds are prohibitively against him ever making it to the NBA in the first place, much less having a long, prosperous career. If they're good enough to think about the NBA at that age, they're good enough to get into a top NCAA program, where they can get coached, and more importantly, they can get a little time to learn how to be men, and not boys with mad bling. I know, I know, in Europe teens can turn pro; but how many Euros have made impactful jumps to the NBA in their teens? None (sorry Darko, but you suck!) So why not get a few years of a college experience under your belt while you have the chance? And the college years may be some of the best years of a person's life. If the only positive thing you can do in life is play hoops, what kind of life does that make for when you're not on the hardwood floor?
Instead of arguing that this change is going to affect, maybe, 10-15 kids a year, tops, why not consider the thousands of others who risk getting no education at all because they have a pipe dream that they will the next LeBron, and skip college?
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