If it were me and I was a lock to be drafted, I'd rather get paid to play basketball than forced to go to school.

The age limit thing isn't all bad.

Players are forced into studying something as a back up plan and something to fall back on in case of a career ending injury.

Although some are smart and study during the summer season and use that opportunity.

Sorry, why is the players union a bunch of sooks for sticking up for the rights of players who are not even part of the union yet? It was in the players interest to give away the age limit during the lockout (it costs the current players nothing and would actually keep a few more working for another year if they agreed to it) but they did'nt because they know the economic circumstances that most of the players come from.
The reason the NBA wants players to play in college (and let's be realistic, 99% of players will go to college not to play overseas) is because it is free marketing and it will also cut down on the amount of contracts the top players have.
If a player comes in at 21, has his 5 year rookie contract, then signs a 7 year extension he is 33 when he comes off, not enough time for another full contract. If he is 18 though he is 29 when he comes off contract, and he will definitely get a full contract.
Keeping players in college is just another way to save the owners money. They already have 5 year rookie contracts (non market value) and want to bring in a 2/3 year minimum without trading anything off.
The list of players that came straight out of high school and have had great careers (Kobe, Garnett, Lebron, T-Mac, etc) is long and illustrious, and yes there have been failures (Leon Smith springs to mind) but I would hazard a guess that as a % it is much higher a success rate then even the guys who did some college.
The myth that players skills are better in college (you have to attend classes & everything else versus working full time on your skills with the best coaches/athletes in the world) is a puerile argument easily dismissed when you look at it clearly

What facts do you have to back up that there more high school success in the NBA and then failures? I notice you only mentioned Leon smith there are a more then that. Including Kwame brown, Sebastian Telfair, C.J. Miles even players like Darius Miles and jonathan bender did OK in the NBA but could of done better by staying in college.

Also while I will admit NBA expansion has hurt some of the depth in the league the open jump shot in the NBA is not nearly as well hit as it used to be in the NBA. NBA analysts have said that an open jump shot in the NBA hey day was hit 8 of 10 now it is now hit an estimated 5 out of 10.

Also NBA rookie contracts go for 3 years with an option for the team and player for a fourth or a fifth year. It is not a 5 year contract for every player that you have stated.

In the 1980's it was very uncommon for an NBA player to be drafted from high school. Players like DArrell Dawkins who went from High School to the NBA were very seldom and rare. Now it is regular to have a couple players in the first round from high school and it's no coincidence that players fundamentals have been dropping because of it. This is a view that has been shared by Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.

I also blame the NBA teams who draft players on potential and scrap more qualified players who have played college ball and go to there senior year. Take Roy Hibbert as an example he was ridiculed by basketball commentators and fans for staying till his senior year in college which he fell down further in the draft because of it. Hibbert now played in the NBA all-star game and those who critics ed him for staying four years in college have gone quiet.

Lamar Odom has also spoken about his regret of not staying longer in college to work on his game.

Also I am not anti-union there are some great unions who have given workers basic rights like sick pay, holiday pay, minimum wage and an eight hour working day. I just don't cast the NBA union in the same light and nor should the be when they largely represent millionaires and refuse to cooperate with the NBA on an age limit that would benefit the sport and make the game better to watch for fans and also as mentioned would give players incentive for a back up plan if there professional basketball career did not work out.

So obviously the European players must have the worst skill set of all the players then as most of them don't attend college (except for some rare cases). Also most of them are turning professional by the time they are 15, so using your argument they must be even worse at shooting, passing and other key fundamentals?
In regards to the union; so a union, that you're not a member of, disagree's with the NBA (and most of the players disagree with that line of thinking about an age limit) so therefore they are a bad union? The players disagree with the owners because they realise that most of the kid's coming in are from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds; the NBA is the best chance for them and their families to 'make it'. And the chances of doing a serious long term injury whilst at college scares the crap out of them.
I would say that the AAU circuit has more to do with the slipping of fundamental skills than high school to pro players have, as such a small % of players currently in the NBA actually made that jump, while nearly all of them came up through the AAU circuit. The lack of time for practise and just constant travel/games with the hype that comes from show boating/getting a rep is a lot more damaging to a young player and their psychological make-up than high school players going to the pro's

Darko Mili?i?^ 18 years old Bust

Yaroslav Korolev 18 years old bust

Maciej Lampe 18 years old bust

Pavel Podkolzin 19 years old bust

Nikoloz Tskitishvili 19 year old bust


These players could of benefited from a couple more years in Europe and some time to develop. Remember pedra stojakovic and Ricky rubio were drafted at 19 and decided to play two more years in Europe before heading to the NBA. Actually Denver Nuggets GM kiki vandeweghe revealed after trading Tskitishivili that after they drafted him that they asked him to spend a couple of years in Europe before playing for the Nuggets but Tskitishvili refused. Minnesota Timberwolves David Kahn has also said that Darko Millic came out too young. Players in Europe would benefit from an age limit as would Americans.

I never heard anyone say that Darko was an unskilled player; just that he did not work at his game and did not seem to want it. Same as Kwame. Most of the guys you have mentioned (throwing in D.Miles here and a few others) were never known as gym rats/hard workers. So how does going to college change that?