"I think you're the greatest but my dad says you don't work hard enough on defense."
Posted on 05/13/2010 4:59:47 AM PDT by srmorton
Abdul-Jabbar says NBA entry age should be 21 By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports Writer 11 hours, 25 minutes ago Printable View Return to Original Buzz up! 328 Print Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (AP Photo) OMAHA, Neb. (AP)—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says the NBA should raise its minimum age for entry into the league to 21. The NBA’s career scoring leader and center on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 1980s “Showtime” teams said Wednesday there’s a disturbing sense of entitlement among many of today’s young pros. “They get precocious kids from high school who think they’re rock stars— ‘Where’s my $30 million?’ ” said Abdul-Jabbar, who was in Omaha to speak at the B’nai B’rith sports banquet. “The attitudes have changed, and the game has suffered because of that, and it has certainly hurt the college game.”
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I guess I’m just an old f@rt but I don’t much enjoy today’s game. Maybe if they put the basket at 12’ instead of 10 the game would be more like it used to be.
Go Celtics! Greatest team ever in anything.
"I think you're the greatest but my dad says you don't work hard enough on defense."
The man always had class-looks like he still does
Do you like gladiator movies?.....................
The man’s right. When he played for UCLA, he couldn’t even play varsity until his sophomore year. His freshman team beat the varsity team in scrimmage though.
The NBA used to have an entry age/education rule, but it was challenged on the basis of age discrimination and they dropped the rule.
Had to laugh. As a 6’5” teenager the basketball coach drooled when he saw me at the freshman mixer. Today I’d be too darn short. Haven’t watched a basketball game in about 20 years, when I realized the “Players” had grown so tall they could stand tippytoe and DROP the ball into the basket. There was a GOOD proportional reason the basket height was set at 10 feet, but makes no sense any longer for colleges and pros.
Just a Little League utilizes its own proportional measurements, so should basketball adapt to the new physical reality.
I reckon if you’re old enough to die for your country, your old enough to play basketball in the NBA. Of course, I’m not shilling for the NCAA, so what do I know.
He’s entirely correct.
My sweetie is an educator on the southside of Chicago; parochial school.
When they have parent-teacher conferences, the parents (mostly single moms) thank him for having their kids read the Ben Carson autobiography. Because Dr. Carson’s background more closely mimics their own children’s background WITHOUT the “hero” of the story being a sports or music star. By the time these students, (especially the boys) are in Junior High/middle school, they already know exactly how many years until they can get into the NBA draft.
For a teacher, this is toxic. Imagine trying to teach a class of students who are biding their time until the age when they believe they can become the next Beyonce or Garnett or LeBron or Halle Barry.
As bad as the sense of entitlement is, that is almost the least of the worries:
Being a sports, music, or video star is their only way out (in their minds). That is where this cancer of the culture really creeps in.
And this is where Obama could have done some real good. And like the rest of his agenda, he’s failed here, too. You mean he can’t give up a couple of golf games a month, to show up at high school gymnasiums around the country, to have a “sit down” with minority students? WTF? I wouldn’t mind paying for that trip!
He’s got to invest some real blood, sweat, and tears in this. A national speech on closed circuit tvs to classrooms is not enough. He has to SHOW UP in person and impress upon these kids that their education matters.
He is squandering his moral authority on this, in favor of his political horseshit. And he’s missed the one area in which he could make a lasting mark.
Education isn’t that important. Character is what counts. Get your HS diploma and work hard and you’ll be fine. Go to college if you like, but it’s not necessary unless you are into hard science or law.
Totally disagree with Kareem.
If one can sign a contract to in the military at 18 , then one can sign a contract to play in the NBA.
This does not mean one will be offered an NBA contract, but those who are ready (LeBron James) absolutely should have that choice and RIGHT.
Capitalism is about less restrictions into the free market along with accepting the risks that come with the choice.
Three cheers for John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood. And three cheers for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an honorable man.
Kareem is a perfect example of a Muslim you actually feel bad for, thanks to what the hardcore Jihadis are doing to his religion.
He makes a lot of common sense (although I’d have to say th existence of LeBron James does blow some holes in his argument)
I always liked Lew Alcinder Jr. when he played for Milwaukee.
Wasn’t too pleased when he sold his soul to the devil and changed his name however.
They should require (like most jobs) that the players be college graduates.
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