ORLANDO – Shoot-from-the-hip Stan Van Gundy just couldn't help himself Thursday night before Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Even with commissioner David Stern in the building, Van Gundy didn't need much prodding to criticize a rule that Stern had embraced before the last collective bargaining agreement was signed.It was Stern who pushed the Players Association into accepting the rule that prohibited anyone coming into the NBA directly from high school, forcing them into at least one year in college or one year playing overseas or in the NBA Development League.
"I don't like the one-and-done. I really don't understand how we get away with that as a league, that we tell a guy out of high school he can't come and play in our league,'' Van Gundy said. "And what I really don't like is the way our system is set up. Kids should be going to college if at least part of what they want to do is get an education.''
Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, the two most prominent players in the NBA Finals, came into the league directly out of high school, but both before the rule was changed. Six of the 10 starters in the game never attended a United States college.
"To me, it's a sham,'' Van Gundy continued. "But I don't want to get going on the NCAA because I think that's about the worst organization going.''
As expected, Lakers coach Phil Jackson disagreed with Van Gundy's assessment of the players-should-go-to-college first idea.
"I hope they make it two-and-done in the future,'' Jackson said. "So I'm still a big proponent of colleges and hopefully the NBA will move it to two years and 20 years being the minimum age."
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
come on Magic...don't let that punk get to you...he should be in prison instead of playing basketball !!! Show them we have more heart,they're all a bunch of street punks with the rapist leading the pack. LET'S GO MAGIC !!!!
dude...shuttup
lizzie0753 what in the hell are you talking about. "street punks" what team choaked in the last min. and commented a flagrant foul after the player (gasol) dunked it. this shows the inexperience of a team in the finals. and as far as a rapist. again people the it was consentual sex, not RAPE and what about the female with her nasty ass screwing 2-3 guys the proof in in the panties and snatch (semen) so stop haten and lets begun to celebrate! lakers in 5!
The one year rule is also probably ILLEGAL. Like the Bushes toppling the UN member governments of Nicagragua, Afghanistan, and Iraq, despite the treaties of membership the US signed prohibiting such action. Spencer Haywood went to court, winning the right to work in the NBA after his Olympic stardom in `68. But just as Gov. Palin is getting away with conspiracy to instigate what her husband referred to as rape when Letterman joked about her legal adult daughter, Gov. Palin conspired for the then minor child daughter`s boyfriend to sleep over, unmarried, and impregnate her (make it legal or enforce the law against it. And sex change operations don`t change gender, they just mutilate the victims, virtually every cell in the body realizes the gender remains unchanged. But Aol doesn`t. And doctors get away with mutilative malpractice. Some folks claim KateLyn Faber lied when she claimed all along she tried to seduce Kobe Bryant, and maybe she did, for all I know. But at least Magic fans got their Tacos, because the team held the Lakers under the 100 points, despite overtime.
In all fairness Stern wanted players to stay in college 2-3 years before joining the NBA, not one like the article claims. It was the Players' Association who disagreed and said one year was enough. And Stern had to agree. Now he's trying once again to increase the age limit so it's not correct saying Stern is the one who wanted the one-and-done rule. Lay the blame on the Players' Association on this one since they are the ones who said one year was more than enough. Not Stern.
david letterman,must be ,the real superman, not dwight howard litterman says what he wants
This is outrageous! this article explains it best http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1878683/nbas_one_and_done_rule.html?cat=9