Brandon Jennings is a pioneer of sorts. In defiance against David Sterns age-discriminatory waiting period, he headed off to Italy instead of playing in college, and will collect a nice payday over there until he decides to give the NBA a chance, if he ever does.
Jennings has gotten rid of his trademark flat top, which is a huge disappointment. But in his first scrimmage, he did pretty well, scoring 16 and dishing out 7 assists, including a nice one of the behind-the-back move in the video.While Jennings may eventually become a marginally good NBA player if he feels like it, he actually has a chance to be a star in Italy. He also has a chance to earn some money right now, instead of waiting a year and going to college. He already has an endorsement deal with Under Armour, and is a year ahead of everyone else his age in terms of collecting his millions.
It should be interesting to see if he lives up to the expectations, and just how dominant an elite high school player can be if he goes directly to Europe. If all goes well for him this could be the beginning of an exodus of top-tier players skipping college, and instead heading to Europe for a year or two before entering the NBA. It seems like this is good for all parties, except the NCAA, of course. The players get a little scratch, the European leagues get a little more talent, the NBA gets a better idea of the talent level of European players, and the colleges get screwed in the end. Way to go, David Stern!
Brandon Jennings Kills It In Italy Debut [Dime Mag]
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