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Should the Minimum Age for the NBA be Increased to 20?

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Before 2006, NBA players did not have to go to college to be drafted into NBA. Notable players such as Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and Kobe Bryant were drafted directly out of high school. Their careers have been nothing short of outstanding, so many people have questioned why the NBA increased the age limit in the first place. In 2005, the NBA decided that every player entering the draft must be at least one year removed from high school. Most players elect to spend that year, and only that year, playing at the collegiate level, creating what is known as the “one-and-done”. This is because most players decide that they do not want to risk injury playing another year or two in college, and would rather go into the NBA to receive the paycheck that entering the league promises. Since most players only spend one year in college, they come to the NBA still pretty raw in terms of skill. As a result, they play very few minutes, preventing them from developing their talent. In response to this problem, the NBA is thinking about increasing the minimum age limit to twenty. This would force players to stay in college for another year. NBA National Columnist Howard Beck wrote an article, “New Commissioner Adam Silver Argues Minimum Age of 20 Better for NBA, NCAA Games”, reporting on the possible rule change. The NBA should increase the minimum age to twenty because it allows players to develop and it also increases the quality of college basketball.
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