from these college players turning pro after one or two years. Today San Diego State loses its best player and Josh Selby of Kansas and Kyrie Irving both went with the "I have a dream" speech.

    I wish they would just say "my dream is to make a lot of money." Let's face it, playing in the NBA is like working in a coal mine compared to the college experience and I think most 50 to 60 year olds with a lot of money would not trade a year of being wealthy for a year of that special freedom that  college brings.

     And this year with the NBA lockout looming, it makes no sense at all to go pro. Last time around, it was January before they started playing again and to give up a year of college for that is ridiculous.

Sure the money is awesome but all those guys do is practice, travel, and play basketball. Most of them spend their time playing video games and end up at age 35  an uneducated man with no market skills other than coaching.

could still spend their 20s paying pro basketball and make millions, and then in their 30s they could start a second career using their college degree to get a real job or for grad school.

      The ex-NBA landscape is littered with Antoine Walkers and Latrell Sprewells who filed bankruptcy before they were 40; Moses Malone who is rich and illiterate; that guy who played for the Supersonics who has 7 or 8 children out of wedlock with different women. Sad. Of course going to college is no guaranty that their lives would have been different but it's sure an advantage.

     No question it is better for their basketball skills to turn pro.  I just do not think it is a viable lifestyle when you look at it from the long term.

Well, at least you didn't say it was like modern day slavery.

-- Modified on 4/15/2011 8:12:54 AM

especially if you point to someone like Grant Hill vs any of the Fab 5. Must have been a coincidence that Jalen Rose was hit with a DUI a few weeks after going on ESPN re his documentary (lol). Seriously, most of the athletes don't view college in the same way that you or I view college. But at the same time, is it fair that NBA players are scrutinized more than tennis players, MLB players, or even some golfers, i.e. Tiger Woods, who left college early?

Both you and I love college basketball, and it's unfortunate that the quality of the game suffers with the one and done rule.

pro sports and Bjorn Borg is the poster guy for tennis- no education, mostly read only comic books according to McEnroe's bio, and by all accounts has not had much of a life since retiring.

I'm just grouchy bc college ball is being ruined by the pros and bc Duke will be crushed by Carolina next year since Kyrie is leaving. God, he could penetrate like no one I've seen in a long time.

UCLA is also getting hurt losing Lee and their best forward. Plus thos guys are on the fringe of the first round so it is crazy for them to go. Better hope the Wear twins and Larry Drew are better than advertised.

... refering to AP's recent remarks during the NFL labor situation.

If these players were to stick around they would just be 2-3 years older with no market skills other than coaching.  The reality that seems to be overlooked in all this is (in my mind) very simple.  These guys want to play with and against the best; why would they continue to play in a system that is just plain BAD basketball?  And if you disagree, then how can the "best" conference in the country have Ben Hansbrough as it's Player of the Year?

charles barkley,kenny smith,chris weber, jalen rose, chris mullin, will perdue, reggie miller, kevin mchale, bill walton, mark jackson, tim hardaway, clark kellogg, can i stop now, lol. I find jalen rose to be most entertaining, funny how he hated duke so much.

... all those former players you referenced represent a list of players who played at least three years in college.  Were you trying to support his position?

... and there are many examples to sight on boths side of the argument.  Please note that Sprewell finished his 4th year of college eligibility at Alabama.  Not sure how his "education" is benefiting him now ...

Ultimately, it boils down to this: if the familiy life/home environment was stable/nurturing during the first 18 formative years of a young man's life, that will go much further than any 1 to 4 years they spend at a collegiate institution.  A solid grounding is not dependent upon a college education, period.