azdad1978

Norm Frauenheim
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 13, 2005 12:00 AM

Suns swingman Quentin Richardson and center Steven Hunter don't support an age minimum of 20 for first-year players - an NBA proposal that Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal suggested was racist.

Richardson and Hunter are among three players on the Phoenix roster who were drafted before reaching the proposed minimum age. Both were drafted when they were 19 and after two years at DePaul.

The third is Amaré Stoudemire, who also was drafted as a 19-year-old out of an Orlando high school.



Richardson and Hunter argued that other sports don't have age restrictions.

"If Michelle Wie can start playing golf with pros while she's still in high school, why can't a kid who is ready for the NBA be drafted?" Hunter said before the Suns-Hornets game Tuesday night at American West Arena.

Wie continues to play as an amateur, but Hunter said she already has begun working at her profession.

"She's going to be making a lot of money real soon," he said.

Richardson mentioned baseball, in which teams always have drafted prospects straight out of high school.

"Why are we talking about an age limit when those other sports don't?" he said.

"If you're ready to play and you're 18, you should play, no matter what," said Richardson, who said the onus should be on teams to stop drafting immature kids out of high school.

The age minimum, which has been proposed by management, looms as a controversial issue in negotiations for a new agreement with the National Basketball Players Association.

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said he couldn't talk about it. An NBA memo has directed coaches not to comment on collective-bargaining issues.

Richardson sits

Richardson didn't play because of the left ankle sprain he suffered Monday night. The sprain is not believed to be serious.

"It's not bad, but it's bad enough to sit out," said D'Antoni, adding that Richardson could be back Friday against the Clippers at America West.

Free throws

Shawn Marion will be in Los Angeles tonight as a guest on the Best Damn Sports Show.


• The Suns are off today. They'll play in a charity golf tournament, the annual Phoenix Suns Scramble at Grayhawk, instead of practice.


http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns...unsnb0413.html

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coloradosun

Wie and the Williams sisters compete as individuals with no salaries at all. Their compensation from competing is earned by winnings.

The guaranteed money is earned by endorsements, big difference. Individual sports and team sports are comparing apples to oranges.

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COLORADOSUN

clif

what does that have to do with being "of age" to compete with other athletes?

fordronken

No one is arguing that some kids can't make it. But what's the downside if they wait another two years before joining the league?

But then again, it sure would suck to get a free ride to any college for two years before I was able to make guaranteed millions of dollars. Hold on...let me go get a tissue.

jbeecham

The difference being that NBA teams are stupid enough to give guaranteed contracts to anyone drafted in the 1st rd including those coming straight out of HS. Handing 18yr olds guaranteed millions based solely on potential that may never pan out. At least in individual sports (golf, tennis, etc), the athletes have to earn the money that they make or else they don't make it. Baseball is different because they have a minor league system that HS kids are put into and they are not given million dollar contracts until they make it to the majors. Football has an age limit of 20 yrs old and also gives out guaranteed contracts, but at least their contracts usually have a large part of them being incentive based by performance.

fordronken

Saying that "NBA teams" guarantee the contracts is stupid. It's a collective bargaining agreement. You don't think the NBA owners would love to be able to just void a bad contract whenever they want? You can argue that having a guaranteed contract is bad, but don't make it out like it's the NBA teams that wanted to do it.

coloradosun

Again go to my thread, if 18-20 year old kids want to come out, have them drafted in the second round only, with second round contracts.

Some high school players opt out of the draft because they may fall into the second round. Have them all fall into the second round and have that as the choice between college and the pros. That way the teams can compensate on performance not potential.

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COLORADOSUN

fordronken

I didn't say that you don't think you have a solution. I said it's stupid to say that NBA teams put in guaranteed contracts. But maybe if you put it in bold again and capitalize it, it'll suddenly become relevant to my point.

Joe Mama

I love how these guys always compare the situation in the NBA to other sports but conveniently forget to mention the NFL which is the most successful of the major sports right now. Again, these guys are looking at it from the standpoint of the player. That's not what this is about. It's about making the NBA a better league.

If they want to worry about players how about the older guys who are getting pushed out of jobs because there is a spot or two on the roster already taken by guys who aren't ready to contribute. What about those veterans?

Joe Mama

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"A good way to threaten somebody is to light a stick of dynamite. Then you call the guy and hold the burning fuse up to the phone. 'Hear that?' you say. 'That's dynamite, baby.'" - Jack Handy

elindholm

If they want to worry about players how about the older guys who are getting pushed out of jobs because there is a spot or two on the roster already taken by guys who aren't ready to contribute. What about those veterans?

Most of the analyses I've read speculate that the players will agree to an age limit without much fight, for this very reason.

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where's elindholm, i need to vomit again! -- Ouchie-Z-Clown

coloradosun

If you have production incentives included in contracts you will have caos in the league, every player will be trying to meet his quotas. The NFL gives signing bonuses that are basicly guaranteed money but the player can be cut at anytime, and the NFL is a totally different animal than the NBA. Offensive stats in football are determined by play calling and execution of that play not just inidividual performance such as in the NBA. Guaranteed contracts are the only way to add team work to the game.

Here everything is in bold.

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COLORADOSUN