Boys Among Men
The definitive, never-before-told story of the prep-to-pro generation, those basketball prodigies who from 1995 to 2005 made the jump directly from high school to the NBA. When Kevin Garnett shocked the world by announcing that he would not be attending college--as young basketball prodigies were expected to do--but instead enter the 1995 NBA draft directly from high school, he blazed a trail for a generation of teenage basketball players to head straight for the pros. That trend would continue until the NBA instituted an age limit in 2005, requiring all players to attend college or another developmental program for at least one year. Over that decade-plus period, the list of players who made that difficult leap includes some of the most celebrated players of the modern era--Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, and numerous other stars. It also includes notable "busts" who either physically or mentally proved unable to handle the transition. But for better or for worse, the face of the NBA was forever changed by the prep-to-pro generation. In compelling, masterfully crafted prose, Boys Among Mengoes behind the scenes and draws on hundreds of firsthand interviews to paint insightful and engaging portraits of the most pivotal figures and events during this time.
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What Hacker News says
- It’s tragic when players aren’t brought along properly. Boys Among Men by Jonathan Abrams talks about the incentives are all misaligned for raw, talented rookies. You’re right - I didn’t know that about him.
Maybe I didn’t watch as much as you, sure, but Magic Johnson also didn’t fit the traditional mold of a point guard. He still somehow found a way to become a legend.
At this point we have almost a decade of evidence on both players, and the evidence is clear. Even if Abdur-Rauf may have been great now, not even Phil will call him as great as Curry:
> After his original tweet set the Internet ablaze, Jackson provided a follow-up message to clarify things and confirm he wasn't placing the two players on the same level:
> How does commenting on Rauf mean I'm comparing him to Curry? Remind, yes, quick release, cross over, Yep, MVP, nope. Get a grip!
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2625417-stephen-curry-co...
- That description isn't quite accurate. All players must be 19 or 1 year after graduating from a US high school to be eligible in the NBA. This was changed around 15 years ago and has led to a lot of basketball super stars playing 1 year in college (One-and-done).
There are a lot of "reasons" why. Most argue that it was fueled by a lot of 18 year olds that flamed out and were unsuccessful in the league in the late 90s and early 2000s. There is a great book that came out recently detailing that time period.[1]
Some people say this is to protect the players and give them a degree to fall back on, but IMO it has become much more obvious lately that it is a free way to scout players for another year and see them compete against each other to get a better handle of who is worth investing in. The NBA is planning on dropping this age requirement back to 18 in the next several years.
As for what they study, the answer is typically not very much. Some of these players are basically physically ready to play in the NBA at 16 and college is a complete waste of time. They just need to pass their classes in the first semester (or first two quarters) to stay eligible through the post-season in March before dropping out and preparing for the draft. It is a farce. Ben Simmons is a recent example if you want to read about it or watch his documentary. [2]
Football is a little different. The requirement is 3 years from HS graduation and very few players are physically ready for the NFL at 18. Careers are also much shorter in the NFL, so you really only see players skipping a few games at the end of their final college season to stay healthy for the draft.
Baseball has the best system in my opinion. You can be drafted out of HS or Junior College, but, if you turn that down or are not drafted, you aren't eligible until you turn 21 or finish your 3rd year.
This system wouldn't work well as well in the NBA because of how their contracts work, but this is already way too long of a post.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Among-Men-Prep-Pro/dp/080413927X
