I would have assumed Bob Knight was one of the more adamant supporters of the NBA age limit. On the day before squaring off against Kevin Durant, Knight points to education and integrity as the reasoning:"Because now you can have a kid come to school for a year and play basketball and he doesn't even have to go to class," Knight said Monday during the Big 12 coaches call. "He certainly doesn't have to go to class the second semester. I'm not exactly positive about the first semester. But he would not have to attend a single class the second semester to play through the whole second semester of basketball.You really can't argue what Knight said about schoolwork. Some coaches may check up on grades during the second semester, but across the board student-athletes are only punished the following semester when they don't meet guidelines. Clearly kids skipping class (and the situation Knight is highlighting is isolated) isn't to be applauded, but when compared with all the other plus and minuses of the age limit rule, forcing kids to mature in college for a year (class or no class) is still a HUGE positive. Kevin Durant himself said he wouldn't have been ready for the NBA, and even taunts us with the idea he might stay another year.
"That, I think, has a tremendous effect on the integrity of college sports."
Now about the "integrity" comment. Is/would this really hurt college basketball? Awful Officiating the entire game of basketball as a whole should be considered:
Thinking outside the box, I tend to agree with Bobby Knight that the new age limit could potentially effect the integrity of college basketball. However, is it hurting or helping the integrity of 'basketball', as a whole? If the NBA is going to be popular, like it was in the Jordan glory days, it needs to put a good solid healthy product on display each and every night. Hiring kids right out of high school puts the NBA at risk of effecting it's very own integrity even more than it already is. Not to mention, there is much more to the NBA than just playing basketball 2 or 3 nights a week. It's all the in between stuff that puts 17-18 year kids at risk. Give them 10 millions dollars and you've multiplied that risk tremendously.What are your thoughts on the rule? Bob Knight has a point, but I don't think it's the rule that needs altering. Schools should monitor grades and attendance throughout the semester instead of at the conclusion.
Source: (Awful Officiating)
New rule hurts integrity of college basketball (Ft. Wayne News Sentinel)
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