[quote="redmannorth" post=385402][quote="AlexSTJ" post=385383][quote="Mike Zaun" post=385323][quote="AlexSTJ" post=385322][quote="Mike Zaun" post=385318]Man...I wish I never had to take the SAT or GRE! Tons of money and anxiety. Anyway, the G League doesn't scare me. College basketball is about way way more than just money. The G League will get their share of kids but there will still be tons who prefer college. The NCAA tournament vs. no tournament. Tons of passionate fans vs. zero fans. Becoming a legend on campus vs. just another guy. It's probably better to get the "all I care about is $" kids out of college anyway. Many families still see the importance in education. You have many guys entering the pros barely literate or illiterate in many sports. Then shark agents can take advantage of them. Education still has a massive value. Earning $500k is nothing if you have no education and spend it all right away and don't save. At the end of the day there will still be tons of very talented kids who pick college over the dumb G League. I can't think of many professional leagues that mean less to the public. If I'm a top notch recruit I go to college, because I know I get my name out there more if I do really well and that can turn into marketing opportunities like Zion got. Not many would know Zion if he went straight to G League even if he was doing well. You just become another guy.[/quote]
You would go straight to college if a company offered you half a million dollars for multiple years?[/quote]
The way I was raised, education comes first. I'm sure I would be told "the money will come but you need an education first". The $500k thing is still only reserved for the very very best top 10 type kids. Those are the 1 and done's anyway so I don't see what the NCAA loses in this. If anything it will lead to more 3-4 yr kids IMO. All it would do is take top 10 type kids and then the Duke's and Kentucky's take the 10-20 types and the Villanova's get the 30's-40's and so on. It would shift a bit but there are still tons of very talented kids out there who will go to college. It's the intangibles the G League can never replicate and what keeps fans interested. There'z zero hype or following in the G League. If a kid is only about money and not growth as a person and becoming part of something much bigger than themselves, then not sure I want them on the team anyway. We still talk about guys from past teams almost 100 years ago at SJ. How many people know 1 G League player? It can have a positive effect on college hoops as it will sort out those only in it for $ and those who embrace the college hoops culture.[/quote]
You make some great points, and I don't disagree with you. But, you didn't answer my very simple question. Knowing you have limited time to make money playing a sport, are you turning down 500k a year over multiple years to go and attend college immediately at 18? What if a Nike rep attends your HS graduation to offer you a seven figure shoe contract?
Obviously this will only apply to a handful of seniors every year. Jalen Green will make several millions of dollars by the time most people get their bachelor degrees.
I appreciate your idealism in regards to this topic. But I'm being pragmatic in this case. For decades, the NBA took kids right out of HS. I think this will benefit both the NBA and Programs like St. John's in the long run.[/quote]
I read a very good article last week how one third of all NBA players live from pay cheque to pay cheque. So terribly sad that given that the minimum salary is close to nine hundred thousand dollars. The $500,000 figure you allude to is much less after you pay an agent and taxes. Of course I understand your tax rate varies from state to state but irrespective the amount is much lower. Had I had $300,000 after tax dollars a year to spend at 18 or 19 I can assure you it would have been pissed away, I would have been no different than that one third of NBA players.
Bottom line as Mike Zain has pointed out is that an education is invaluable, especially at a school like SJU where every year the players volunteer at the Bread and Life kitchen in Brooklyn and feed those just getting by. That exercise which the men’s and women’s coaches have been doing for years is probably a life changing lesson/experience for many a player and serves them well for the rest of their life. Just as going through college, studying hard, combining athletics and school and living a non flamboyant life ( excluding the Kentucky’s of the world ) will prepare one far more for the realities of life than having a large salary for a few short years just as you become an adult age wise and believe you can live like a rock star.[/quote]
I’m asking a very simple question and stating simple facts. You both great points and again, I don’t disagree. But neither of you answered my question.
