Film & TV Pacers' O'Neal: NBA age limit has racist undertones

[AmerikazMost]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3533684

TORONTO (AP) - Indiana center Jermaine O'Neal said the NBA's desire to put an age limit in the next collective bargaining agreement could be driven by racism.

"In the last two or three years, the rookie of the year has a been a high school player. There were seven high school players in the All-Star game, so why we even talking an age limit?" said O'Neal, who was drafted out of high school in 1996 by the Portland Trail Blazers.
"As a black guy, you kind of think that's the reason why it's coming up. You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. To say you have to be 20, 21 to get in the league, it's unconstitutional. If I can go to the U.S. army and fight the war at 18, why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?"

The NBA's seven-year labor agreement expires after the season and NBA commissioner David Stern has asked for a 20-year-old age limit in the next deal, with incentives provided to players who defer their draft eligibility to stay in college. The union originally opposed raising the current age limit of 18, but has begun to waver.

Cleveland's LeBron James won the rookie of the year award last season, and Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire took home the honor for the 2002-03 season. Both were drafted out of high school.

 

[CoolWaterz]

hes a moron. The reason for there being no age limits in other sports is that most sports dont draft a person right out of high school. Most athletes are recruited from colleges, except basketball. And jermaine oneal is an easy example of why high school kids arent mature enough to handle the money, fame, and pressure that comes along with being an nba star.

its not like the army either where your trained respect..these kids are straight out of the ghetto with no growth yet in their life, thrown into the limelight and expected to be role models? Somethings flawed in that logic.

 

[The.Menace]

I don't see no racism there, sorry.

 

[Morris]

"Unconstitutional?"

Maybe if Jermaine had gone to school, he'd know what's in the Constitution.

 

[ShockA]

Buddy must've taken a shot in the head during the Piston/Pacers brawl.

I don't see any racial discrimination in the NBA or in the new proposed age limit. He doesn't know shit..

 

[S O F I]

I'm all for the age limit. People see KG and Kobe and think that it's perfectly fine for high school players to go into the NBA. People don't know how hard it was for KG and Kobe to get where they're at. They also do not know how many high school players entered drafts and are nowhere to be found. College education is important and college coaching as well.

 

[Tito]

I understand where he is coming from. But it is not racist. I dont want to see an age limit. Its fine the way it is.

Just look at the last 2 ROY winners. Both straight out of high school.

 

[imported_MAKaveli_10]

I dont wanna see it happen. If they are good enough to play let them play.

 

[MakaveliPrime01]

It's probably in the best interest of the players to do a couple years in college, but if they can hack it then I don't see why we should restrict them from giving it a shot. They're screwing up their own life if their not talented enough, but if they can make it props. btw KG=god

 

[hizzle?]

It's probably in the best interest of the players to do a couple years in college, but if they can hack it then I don't see why we should restrict them from giving it a shot. They're screwing up their own life if their not talented enough, but if they can make it props. btw KG=god

the thing is that not all of the High SChool players can go to college...you have to keep a certain degree of education and not everybody(read every dumb basketball player) can do that... He thinks it's racist because the black kids from the "ghettos" dont have a good education so they cant handle university and basketball at the same time


that's what Greg Anthony said...a pro-school going dude who actually has finished university...in something else than sociology which is the easiest thing ever

 

[S O F I]

I dont wanna see it happen. If they are good enough to play let them play.

The thing is, most aren't.

 

[Pain Of Depth]

hes a moron. The reason for there being no age limits in other sports is that most sports dont draft a person right out of high school. Most athletes are recruited from colleges, except basketball. And jermaine oneal is an easy example of why high school kids arent mature enough to handle the money, fame, and pressure that comes along with being an nba star.

its not like the army either where your trained respect..these kids are straight out of the ghetto with no growth yet in their life, thrown into the limelight and expected to be role models? Somethings flawed in that logic.

uhm why should they be role models? nobody at that age wants to be a fucking role model

 

[AmerikazMost]

I dont wanna see it happen. If they are good enough to play let them play.

but they're not good enough. they have the potential to be good enough, and thats what the teams draft. but instead of that potential being developed, they're lost in the mix.

 

[hizzle?]

but they're not good enough. they have the potential to be good enough, and thats what the teams draft. but instead of that potential being developed, they're lost in the mix.

every NBA team should have a school-team ... like in Soccer or Hockey...the NBDL could be used for that purpose..

 

[S O F I]

uhm why should they be role models? nobody at that age wants to be a fucking role model

Agreed. But, supposedly, and many athletes will tell you this, you're a role model whether you want to be or not.

 

[MakaveliPrime01]

the thing is that not all of the High SChool players can go to college...you have to keep a certain degree of education and not everybody(read every dumb basketball player) can do that... He thinks it's racist because the black kids from the "ghettos" dont have a good education so they cant handle university and basketball at the same time


that's what Greg Anthony said...a pro-school going dude who actually has finished university...in something else than sociology which is the easiest thing ever

Interesting thoughts. It's a tough issue, I agree though that they should get a chance to jump from High school to pro, I was just saying, it might be good for some of them to hit up college because it's probably in the best interest of MOST of the players to have a back up plan. I know grant hill was saying stuff about this years back, I think his back up was like being a doctor or sumfin, he's a real smart guy. Anyway thanks for the thoughts, You cleared up the link between Racism and the nba making age limits.

 

[groobz]

JO is another wineing faggot that has no idea about the state of NBA, and pulls the race card, which just shows he's an ignorant moron.

Maybe he's a racist for punching the hell out of that white boy in the detroit game lol.

 

[AmerikazMost]

every NBA team should have a school-team ... like in Soccer or Hockey...the NBDL could be used for that purpose..

now that could be a viable solution...a farm system for basketball...it would help the kids that insist on coming in early develop, and it may actually deter a lot of kids from leaving college because they know they might be getting less money