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Breakthrough in the NBA? It is considered to lower the minimum age of the players

SportFair

Important news coming to the NBA world. According to Shams Charania (The Athletic) and Adrian Wojnarowski (ESPN), the best league in the world is considering lowering the entry age to the competition from 19 to 18.

A change that could affect American basketball but also European clubs. If this rule were applied, it would change the rules of the game. Commissioner Adam Silver seems in favor of realizing the idea, which however needs support for mental health protection.

Since 2005, at least one year of college has been required to get players into the draft. A rule introduced by David Stern, which now appears to be under threat. Prior to this, Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut at 18 years and 72 days and after him also Andrew Bynum, at 18 years and 6 days.

The age of ‘entry’ in the NBA has always been discussed: Steve Kerr had even asked to increase the age to 20, while now there could be a lowering of the minimum age. The debate has always been constant and has touched Europe: the numbers of players who leave their clubs to go to the NBA are many. And they do it, for the most part, as soon as they turn 19, which affects the teams they are on.

At the moment it is not clear what prompted Adam Silver to evaluate this hypothesis: on the one hand the eternal battle for the monopoly of young players who have NBA and NCAA could be a reason for what is happening. On the other hand, the growth of the Development League and Adam Silver’s desire for expansion could have a lot to do with this decision.

Even the expansion planned for 2024, with the entry of two new teams in the NBA, could be a reason to be taken into consideration: lowering the minimum age, in fact, would have more players eligible and available in the short term to fill the new deductibles.

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