BASKETBALL

The Impact of "One and Done" Rule to the Basketball Player



The Impact of "One and Done" Rule to the Basketball Player

Introduction

“One-and-Done” is a slang term used for a player who stays for a year in college and then heads to NBA. In 2005, when NBA introduced a rule that a new player, joining the league has to be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school, the rule was called “One-and-Done” rule. This rule has received much criticism from all sides.

Lebron James, Kobe Byrant, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, Josh Smith and Al Jefferson for example, are stars that successfully made to the NBA right after their high school. Particularly one player, Kobe Bryant is one of the big icons in the game. His name alone sells a large number of jerseys globally. Athletes who did go to college but did not get the degree, for example, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, are in the top 10 list of players in the league. With the latent demand for exceptional talent in the NBA, quicker and stronger college athletes are being inducted into NBA teams (Fanney, 2009). The rule has many pros and cons. The paper is an attempt to find the impact of “One-and-Done” rule on the players and the game.

Discussion

Ever since, the 'One-And-Done' rule has been put into practice by NBA, it has received a lot of criticism. The critics believe that just for the sake of its own benefit, the league has introduced a rule which is harming education and basketball at the college level. They believe that the rule, that a player has to spend a year at the college before moving on to pro-level, does no good to a player's skills and abilities; in fact, a player who has got enough skills to go pro would make it there one way or the other without the aid of any such rule.

Despite the huge criticism laid against the rule, we observe that the college basketball scene is benefitted a lot from this rule. The game has become much more interesting and exciting, both for the public and the players. The players playing the game are developed, while playing alongside “One-and-Done” players and getting exposed to future the NBA talent.

It allows a college-ball fan to witness some of the best talent in the country, such as Greg Oden and Derrick Rose, in action in this level, which was not the case previously. However, “One-and-Done” rule has given the college level game a sense of parity too. In the days when UCLA was ruling the college scene, there was no chance, for anybody to beat them. For seven continuous years, the Bruins held the National title, and won 10 out of their 12 season appearances. Indiana was able to completely dominate a season without losing. The “One-and-Done” rule, to an extent has ensured that the domination of this magnitude won't be repeated. With this rule in place, it's almost impossible to witness any other domination, ...