Rogerian Argument
High School to NBA: Good or Bad?
Mel Plantenga
College Composition P.4/5
March 6, 2013
Some of the greatest stars in the NBA were drafted straight out of high school. Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard are just a few examples. Even though, as of 2006, the NBA eligibility rule states that a player entering the NBA draft must be at least nineteen years old and a year removed from high school, it is still a huge debate in the sports world of whether or not this rule is the right choice. Before the rule was set in place, NBA commissioner David Stern said, “We have the right to set an age limit in the collective bargaining agreement. I believe we can work together to come up with something that is legally correct and will withstand legal challenge” (Should the NBA). The rule he was referring to was eventually put into action, but not without disagreement from both sides of the argument. The following will present to you the reasoning behind both points of view on this matter. Those who oppose this rule use past players’ success as an example for their argument. According to a study by Michael McCann, a professor at Vermont Law School, of the twenty six players drafted between 2002 and 2005, twenty were still playing through last season and three have become superstars: Amar’e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, and Lebron James (Should high school players be eligible). Those on the opposing side do not believe the age limit helps strengthen the game and is a liability for players who might get injured in their only year of college basketball. Their alternative is to simply get rid of the rule all together. Although the rule today states that a player must spend a year out of high school before entering the draft, there are many reasons to see the other side and to change this rule to allow players to enter straight out of high school. For a great example, we look to one of the three superstars mentioned before, Amar’e Stoudemire. His father passed away when
Mel Plantenga
College Composition P.4/5
March 6, 2013
Some of the greatest stars in the NBA were drafted straight out of high school. Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard are just a few examples. Even though, as of 2006, the NBA eligibility rule states that a player entering the NBA draft must be at least nineteen years old and a year removed from high school, it is still a huge debate in the sports world of whether or not this rule is the right choice. Before the rule was set in place, NBA commissioner David Stern said, “We have the right to set an age limit in the collective bargaining agreement. I believe we can work together to come up with something that is legally correct and will withstand legal challenge” (Should the NBA). The rule he was referring to was eventually put into action, but not without disagreement from both sides of the argument. The following will present to you the reasoning behind both points of view on this matter. Those who oppose this rule use past players’ success as an example for their argument. According to a study by Michael McCann, a professor at Vermont Law School, of the twenty six players drafted between 2002 and 2005, twenty were still playing through last season and three have become superstars: Amar’e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, and Lebron James (Should high school players be eligible). Those on the opposing side do not believe the age limit helps strengthen the game and is a liability for players who might get injured in their only year of college basketball. Their alternative is to simply get rid of the rule all together. Although the rule today states that a player must spend a year out of high school before entering the draft, there are many reasons to see the other side and to change this rule to allow players to enter straight out of high school. For a great example, we look to one of the three superstars mentioned before, Amar’e Stoudemire. His father passed away when
Cited: Katz, Andy. "College Season Prepared Davis for NBA." Web log post. Andy Katz Blog. ESPN, 1 Nov. 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. "Should high school players be eligible for the N.B.A. draft? The National Basketball Association requires draft picks to be at least 19 and a year out of high school." New York Times Upfront 15 Mar. 2010: 22. Student Resources in Context. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. "Should The NBA Put An Age Limit On New Players?" Jet 5 July 1999: 51. Military and Intelligence Database Collection. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Stern, Marlow. "My Favorite Mistake: Amar 'e Stoudemire." Newsweek 6 Aug. 2012: 56. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. Wieberg, Steve. "Kentucky 's John Calipari Engages NBA Players on One-and-done." USA Today. Gannett, 3 Sept. 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.