There are real reasons why viable alternatives are needed to the current system. Is the JBA one of them?
Lavar Ball knows how to make national headlines. Not long ago Ball declared that in his heyday he “could beat Michael Jordan one-on-one with one arm tied behind his back.” And also thinks his son, Lonzo, “is better than Steph Curry.”
Cocky, arrogant, and an apparent know-it-all, Father Ball creates loads of controversy.
Courtesy: SB Nation
He’s at it again this week, but this time it’s a legitimate idea–not just another spewing of bombast.
Ball says he’s going to create a new basketball league for high school graduates. The new league will be called The Junior Basketball Association (JBA).
The JBA could have as many as 10 teams with venues in LA, Dallas, and Atlanta. JBA players could earn a salary of up to $10,000 a month. The league’s purpose is to provide basketball prospects another way of getting into the NBA.
“Another way” is needed, Lavar argues, because he believes the NCAA system is “corrupt.” He says that NCAA issues are prompting high school prodigies to bypass college and play overseas. Examples include Terrance Ferguson, Emmanuel Mudiay, and most recently, his son, Liangelo Ball.
The primary issue is the NBA’s One-and-Done rule, which requires potential NBA players to wait at least one year after high school before playing in the NBA. The goal of the rule is to help young players develop so that they can assimilate more quickly into the NBA. It’s a matter of helping players develop to their potential and to enable the NBA to reap benefits (from player investments) more reliably.
Those same NCAA controversies haven’t been lost on NBA Commissioner Silver. The NBA’s preferred option is a G League draft, which would enable high school graduates to play pro ball immediately–just not directly in the NBA.
What do I think? I believe the JBA is a bad idea.
Perhaps the most important issue for players is losing out on a college education. JBA players will be doing basketball 24/7. What happens when players suffer serious injuries? The college alternative gives players something important–an education and, hopefully, a degree.
There are real reasons why viable alternatives to the current system are needed. But I just don’t see the JBA as one of them.
