Should Athletes be Able to go Pro Out of High School?
Athletes with the ability and talent to play professional sports should be competing against professional players. How can something so simple become so complicated?
There is no debate that high school, college, and professional sports are extremely different in skill level, talent, and the amount of hours devoted to perfecting their game, but the players who are destined to play professionally have a seemingly long way to go from high school to the big leagues. The difference in the leagues creates skepticism about whether or not players would be prepared physically for professional sports let alone mentally or emotionally. College may be the perfect transition for student athletes but the benefits in collegiate sports compared to professional sports differs greatly. Although many say that collegiate athletes are being compensated for their work and dedication through scholarships, it is very different from being provided a salary and making money legally for playing a sport. All in all, high school athletes who feel as if they are ready to be put into the draft should be allowed to whenever they want to. Since they’re the ones who will be playing and going through the process, it should all be done on their own terms and not be regulated by money hungry organizations.
Many people are realizing that having to go to college for only a year before being eligible for the NBA draft is somewhat of an unnecessary step. Sure, the schedules are somewhat similar to a pro schedule in terms of hours spent in the weight room and on the court, but for some, the classroom aspect is excessive. The players, coaches, and professors know which players are there for the education, and which are there just to make it to the next level, which is why the G League was created. The G League gives players an opportunity to better their skills and get ready for the upcoming draft once eligible. What they don’t have to do? Spend time in classes that their coligate counterparts do. They are also able to make money, legally, by participating in the league. This creates an environment that may leave players even more prepared and qualified than players who choose to play one year in college.
Another way players can get paid during the one year period is to play on overseas teams. Terrance Ferguson went to play in Australia instead of playing for a college team. His reasoning for choosing this alternate path was, “At college, the only people making money off you are the coaches. You’re not making anything off your jersey sales, ticket sales. Not anything. So go overseas, the way I did, and get your money’s worth. Get paid for what you’re doing”. He has a good point as well. College coaches of the top teams get paid incredulous amounts. The aforementioned Coach K made $8.89 million last year and Nick Saban, head coach for the University of Alabama football team, made $11.4 million. That is more than most coaches of professional teams make. It’s easy to see why players who could make the same amount of money playing would not go to college just to make money for the school off of their own names.
Big names in the sports world are also giving their input about the rules for when athletes are allowed to enter the draft in their respective sports. Mike Krzyzewski, AKA “Coach K”, the head coach of Duke University’s basketball team, said, “In baseball, in theater, in music, if you’re 16 and you’re really good, you go on a different path. I really think that high school players should be allowed to go. And once they get to college, if [they] don’t do that, I think a two-year period, so you legitimize being in college, going for an education. You don’t just kind of use the college system as a training ground”. A surprising comment coming from a coach who would want the best high school players to play for him instead of going straight to the draft. The other side of this is that coaches might not want players like this to come to their programs because if they’re that good, they will leave the school after a year to enter the draft. This creates complication and can be unfair to coaches and players.
There are many other people who have voiced their opinion about the topic such as Cardale Jones, a former player for Ohio State and whom currently plays for the Los Angeles Chargers. His infamous tweet from his freshman year clearly showed his disdain towards the classroom. Not surprisingly, this is how many student athletes feel, especially if they know that they will be entering the draft and are only there so they can become eligible.
Lebron James has given his opinion in a big way. He created a documentary that touches on the transition between the levels of play and provides insight about the NCAA and their eligibility rules. He also showcases many athletes who put in all the effort and training but ultimately did not end up where they wanted to or were promised to be. While this is somewhat ironic since Lebron was never actually associated with the NCAA since he was drafted in a time period where players weren’t required to wait before being eligible. He is a good example for how players can thrive when they’re put into an environment with big competition and a serious and professional atmosphere.
The other side to this debate is, are the players really ready to skip college and that extra developmental period? The main reason why people are opposed to this option is that the players are not ready physically, emotionally, or mentally to compete in the pros out of high school. This is especially important in football where college can be a crucial time to prepare their bodies for the agression of the NFL. During college is where most players learn to lift properly and gain the muscle mass they need to take or make big hits.
There are also many instances where players just simply aren’t mature enough to play in the pros. They might not understand that if they are good enough to play straight out of high school, they are probably pretty well known on social media and outside of the sports world. The Ball Brothers, Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo Ball along with their father Lavar, are somewhat of icons as they rose to fame after Lonzo was projected to be a top draft pick after his first year at UCLA. The family became fan favorites after the younger brothers were found to have extreme basketball talent as well.
People in the spotlight may not always make the best decisions, which is definitely well known by the middle brother, LiAngelo. While he was with the UCLA basketball team during a tournament in China, he, along with two of his teammates were caught shoplifting. This had big consequences for LiAngelo as he was put on suspension from the team. This ultimately led to Lavar pulling him out of school so that he could train him for the upcoming draft, in which he was never actually drafted. There are multiple reasons why he was not drafted, his reputation arguably being one of the biggest over talent level. Teams want fans to look up to their players and if they don’t seem like good role models, then that’s a big reason as to why they won’t draft them. The reputation of their players reflects back onto the organization. Professional athletes get paid for what they can produce on the court, as well as what they do off the court. No team wants to pay someone millions if they’re going to be a liability for the team.
The other aspect to him going undrafted was talent level. Although he is a talented player, he does not match the level of play that his older brother is on. Just because he was a well known player does not mean that he automatically will go pro. It takes a lot of hard work and talent which is what many don’t realize.The percentage of players who go to the NBA after playing in college is only 1.2%. This percentage only goes down for players who choose alternate paths to the NBA. This makes the decision harder for players because there is a high probability that they won’t even get drafted and once they become eligible for the draft, they are no longer eligible for the NCAA.
Ultimately, it should be the player’s choice when they should be eligible for the draft but there are factors that they should address before making their decision. Depending on what sport they play, the factors differ and sometimes the right choice may be to get experience playing in an environment more similar to the pros than high school is. We may see a change soon enough but for now, players still have many options for what to do before they become eligible.