It's a hard life if you want to go to the NBA. First you have to show true talent as a young athlete. Then you have to devote hours and hours every day of the year, working on jump shots, free-throws, or even going to basketball camp to learn a few tips. After that you must prove yourself worthy as a high school player, hopefully as an All-American and standing out from the rest of the nation. Finally, you must take your skills to the college levels, facing plenty of All-American high school players that have the exact same objective as you do: turning pro. If you are able to complete all these tasks, then you have a chance at just signing a contract with an NBA team. And most of these players are only decent or mediocre when they reach the big leagues. Or you could take the other route, similar to LeBron James or Kevin Garnett, and jump right out of high school to sign a monster contract for millions of dollars and spring into action as one of the best of all the NBA stars. It seems a lot easier doesn't it? Well, this is exactly what is occurring now. Rookies are jumping straight out of high school to prove themselves at an incredibly young age. That is, until David Stern implemented the rule of at least one year of college experience before draft eligibility. However, this new law in basketball only prolongs the young athletes to one less year of NBA basketball, and in the case of the spectators, one more year of anxiety and desire to watch the young rookies play.But is this new generation of players, including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and NBA champion Dwyane Wade, a beneficial step for basketball? Not necessarily. This new line of players has not only altered the sport itself, but has also had general managers relying on 19 year-old players to carry his team to the finals. It has undeveloped athletes coming out of college way too early, just so they can see their names in newspapers or receive contracts that have six zeroes at the end. But more than anything, it has spectators expecting their number one draft pick to produce as soon as he hits the floor. These expectations are causing ludicrous amounts of pressure and responsibility on such young athletes. And what happens when they do not perform? They are felt to be horrible and ignored by the public until they break out with a forty point game. As I said before, it's a hard life if you want to go to the NBA.
Fans want more rookies like LeBron James or Chris Paul, who come out and soar among the best veterans and exciting players, rather than boring and dull players such as Tim Duncan. What they expect is Greg Oden to come out of Ohio State this year and score 30 points in his NBA debut. What these spectators do not understand is that basketball takes time, and if you really want to see Oden score 30 points and grab 15 rebounds, you're going to have to wait two or three more years. Kobe Bryant, one of the best players in the NBA today, sat on the bench during his first years as a pro, and now he has progressed into one of the best and most complete players on both sides of the ball. What fans need to drill into their brains is that rookies should not have to deal with the pressures of holding up their entire team on their backs while constantly being asked to score 25 to 30 points each night. The demand for rookies is way too high in sports today, and if coaches and general managers do not respond, each team will be led by a star point guard or star center that still of age to drink champagne as a victory celebration.
