NBA age limits and gettin' while the gettin' is good

Something horrible happened to Shaun Livingston Tuesday night. His knee pretty much ripped in half. He is only 21 years old and has been in the NBA since the 2004-2005 season, and ever since he joined the LA Clippers he has been very injury prone. Now the weird thing is that his knee injury which pretty much tore every ligament that attaches to your knee, happened during a routine layup. He didn't make a fancy move, he didn't have to go through a defender, his knee just kinda blew up on it's own, almost like it would have happened anywhere he was playing.

When he was 18 Shaun was offered a scholarship to Duke, he turned it down to enter the NBA early, signing with the LA Clippers for $10 million, and a very lucrative endorsement deal with Reebok. If he would have taken the scholarship with Duke and blown his knee up in college, he would not have been drafted in the first round, he would not have been given $10 million dollars, he would not have landed an endorsement deal with Reebok. By taking the money when the taking was good, or in this case was possible, he has changed the financial situation for himself and his family. College will always be there, and they don't really care about your lateral speed, or how high you can jump.

So what does this say about the ridiculous NBA age limits that David Stern is trying to set? What does this say about those who are pushing for getting kids out of the NBA? I think it speaks volumes, I think anytime an institution imposes limits on people's choices it's bad. If these kids want to go into the NBA after high school, and they have the talent to do it, let them do it. I went straight from high school to the work force, there wasn't anyone screaming about, he's to young to be working at a car dealership, he can't handle the pressure, he needs to get his education while he can. I say take the millions while you can, you can always go to college. There are many, many people out there everyday that go back to college, and without the benefit of millions in the bank.

I just can't really wrap my head around why David Stern is doing this, forcing a kid to be 20 years old before he enters the draft. I think it might have something to do with the fact that when a kid is playing college ball, he is gaining star power for free. He doesn't get paid anything, he can't sign promo deals, and the NBA owners get a product that has a little less risk attached. But as far as high school kids not being ready for the "big leagues" you just need to look at the last few kids that have come into the league. LeBron James is doing just fine with the Cavs, Amare Stoudemire is an all star, Tracy McGrady is doing quite well for himself in Houston, and we all know how well Kevin Garnett has carried himself in the NBA.

So David Stern will get his way I'm sure, the NBA will get their age limit and finally put an end to all this youth exploitation that the has been running rampant in the NBA all these years, I just feel bad for the Shaun Livingstons of the world, who will take a scholarship with Duke, or Kansas, or MSU when they could have taken the millions in draft day money, and injure themselves in their first season, spend the next season in rehab for said injury, put up weak numbers in their senior year and don't get drafted at all. But at least they'll have received that all important education, and refinement that only college can bring.