Should high school players be allowed to go directly to the NBA and bypass college? This has been a hot topic for some time following the league office's decision that high-school prospects must be at least 19 years old or one year removed from college to be drafted into the Association.
The rule was incorporated and mandated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2006, causing a stir among the NBA community, especially since numerous high-school prospects display the pedigree to make the jump and skip college. However, despite some of the widespread pushback on the rule, Michael Jordan seems to be in favor of it.
The Chicago Bulls legend explained why when he sat down for an exclusive interview with Cigar Aficionado.
"I'm a firm believer that a player should be 20 years old or older before going to the pros. Anything less than that is potentially bad. You've got a lot of things you have to take into consideration. If I had been a freshman or even a sophomore, no matter how good I was, I don't know if I would have been ready for what I had to deal with in the professional ranks. But you got more and more young guys doing it. I am a firm believer that something is affected by leaving college early, or not going to college at all," MJ said .
What history tells us
There's no denying that Jordan makes some compelling arguments. Yes, players often miss crucial development stages that get exposed in the league. Yes, you can make the case that young guys are receiving too much money for their age and maturity to know what to do with it. But there's also another side to that coin.
For as many examples as we have of players who have struggled to make the impact the world thought they would when making the jump to the NBA, there have been equally as many who have gone on to become household names. For every Kwame Brown, there was a LeBron James; for every Leon Smith, there was a Kobe Bryant; for every Korleone Young, there was a Kevin Garnett.
In fact, when you look at the list of players who went from prep to pro, those who went on to have successful careers in the league outweigh the names that were forgotten.
In addition to LeBron, Kobe, and Garnett, the likes of Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, Amar'e Stoudamire, and others secured All-Star appearances, with some even making the Hall of Fame. This all further illustrates the reality that there was more success than not for notable high-school prospects.
Related: "He has 47 kids in the Philippines, and I'm the oldest one" - When Dennis Rodman broke down during his Hall of Fame speech
What does the future hold?
The league office's preference to remain mostly silent on the matter in recent years has made fans wonder what the future holds in this area. Clearly, players are more talented than ever, and it's hard to deny that more and more future prospects will be capable of becoming an 18-year-old professional.
Zion Williamson was a great recent example of a guy who had the physical tools to get drafted from high school. Looking back, he potentially didn't gain much from competing in a measly 33 games for Duke for a season in comparison to an 82-game initiation he would have received at the professional level.
Then there's Duke commit Cooper Flagg, who looks ready right now. Even among select players already in the league, Cooper was one of the best performers at Team USA camp, even when competing among an array of Hall of Famers as a 17-year-old.
Whether the league office will stand by Jordan's sentiment long-term remains to be seen, but it will become increasingly difficult to ignore the topic when American soil continues to produce prospects like Flagg.
Related: "I wouldn't doubt that at all" - Antawn Jamison said 50-year-old Michael Jordan would be able to compete in NBA
Local News
