For the time being, the NBA is expecting between about five and 10 teams to have fans in their arenas (at partial capacity) to start the 2020/21 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The league has expressed a hope that teams will be able to have some amount of fans attend games this season despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and has sent teams a list of health and safety protocols that will apply to each home arena.
However, clubs’ decisions will be dictated in large part by local government officials. In areas where large-scale gatherings aren’t permitted, it seems safe to assume that teams will open the season playing in front of empty arenas.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world as we gear up for a wild week:
- There’s growing pessimism around the NBA that the age limit for draft-eligible players will be eliminated in time for the 2022 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). There’s still an expectation that the one-and-done rule – which prevents players from entering the draft right out of high school – will be adjusted at some point, but the target date for that rule change continues to be pushed back.
- The NCAA announced this week that it plans to have its March Madness tournament for 2021 take place in a single location, likely in Indianapolis. The event had originally been scheduled for 13 separate sites, but the NCAA has decided a single site makes more sense for safety reasons related to COVID-19.
- Pacers guard Victor Oladipo has joined the ownership group assuming control of the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League, according to Michael Marot of The Associated Press. “I was always interested in being part of team ownership, having input with a team and helping a team be successful on the business side of things,” Oladipo said. “To work with a team from this perspective, I’m sure I’ll have newfound respect for the guys who have been in that position.”
If you are going to get rid of the age limit, why stop at 18? Let’s start drafting 12 year olds. Scouts are already checking them out, so why shouldn’t NBA teams go ahead and commit millions of dollars to them? Bronny James shouldn’t have to wait to finish high school to become a multi millionaire with a shoe contract of his own. For that kids shouldn’t have to go to school at all. As long as they learn to count money, that’s all that matters to most of them anyway.
Uhh yeah, when it comes to working a job the money is what matters.
Well in most cases learning the skills to do the job before getting it is also a prerequisite.
anyone see the age and contracts/endorsement deals those soccer/futbol phenoms are signing. what’s the dif, it isn’t a big deal anymore. if they’re training for this stuff, they already have their minds up. tennis also.
I don’t really like those sports doing it either. Look at how it messed up Freddy Adu. And the list is really long of former young tennis players that had trouble adjusting to life.
Just because a 10 year old wants to be a basketball player, doesn’t mean you should just let him. Don’t stop a kid from training or anything, but don’t limit them to JUST that. Athletic careers don’t last nearly as long as lives. And most of them are not nearly as lucrative as the guys and gals on top. What happens if that young kid tears up a knee and can barely read? Instead of having a fall back position with a free college degree, you basically have a guy that has no skills for any job and not enough education to even get into a college to learn some.
I know people like the “pie in the sky” fantasies of becoming an NBA All Star or a Hollywood movie star, but for every one that succeeded, you have probably 1000 that didn’t. But no one likes to think about those stories, just the ones that won the lottery.
Guys are insured, wrecking your knee will set you for life, right?
You realize people in the US and Canada are considered legal adults at age 18, yes? The NBA allowing legal adults to play in their league seems like a no-brainer (unlike the NFL, where the physical nature of the game would impact people whose bodies are still developing).
Maybe you could set up something like minor league baseball, where people younger than 18 can commit to teams, but I have no idea how that idea connects to the NBA simply letting 18 year olds get drafted.
That’s a fine idea, except most professional jobs require training other than just being a legal adult in order to be hired. For the entire history of the sport that has involved training via college basketball. It’s the same as going to college to earn a good job in any other field. Even the military requires 18 year old legal adults to go through basic training before putting them in the field. Just because you can vote doesn’t mean you are ready for everything that life can throw at you.
Here, here.
While we’re at it, let’s talk about the number of games that are being played by kids in AAU ball.
Just how pitchers can blow out their arms by heavy pitch counts in their teens, we’re already running up a ton of miles on kids in “nonprofessional” basketball.
The kids as young as 12 are already in the pipeline. Either better regulate youth-sports, or let the ultimate business manage its talent pool directly.
And let the kids make their shoe money! End the farce of NCAA amatuer athletics!