****The Everything LaVar Ball Thread****

[atlsfinest]

Bingo.



If you really love and champion college basketball then you'd it enjoy it while watching Duke and UCLA put a bunch of 3 and 4 star recruits on the floor right?

To your point, if you look back at the top recruits from the 2003, 2004, and 2005 you'll see that most 5-star players still went to college. Even at its absolute height, there were only 15-20 players going from HS to the NBA. Also, while you're there look at how many of those 5 stars never played a minute in the NBA.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

There are 2 posters on this same page advocating for players to get paid. Also, NO ONE IS FORCING THEM TO GO TO COLLEGE; NO ONE IS MAKING THEM DO SO. They can play in overseas, play in the G-league, they can sit out for a year and just work out. I'll admit for the 15-20 sure fire one and done prosects, playing college basketball is a crappy option. They probably shouldn't go at all.

NCAA men's basketball was doing just fine without those 15-20 top prospects, prior to the one-and-done rule was instituted in 2006. It was the NBA who wanted the age restriction because players were coming into the NBA not ready to play. Now we're seeing that 1 year of college basketball doesn't improve players much and we're most likely headed for a change shortly.

Yes...get paid. Not once have I seen anything in here where someone says they should be paid by the NCAA.

You're arguing something that isn't even being debated right now.

We were discussing the idea of one and done rule being removed and the NBA making a legit a farm system out of the G-League so that elite HS players aren't pigeon-holed to a limited set of options regarding the free market and their development.

You're discussing how the NCAA would pay players...and nobody suggested that.

To your point, if you look back at the top recruits from the 2003, 2004, and 2005 you'll see that most 5-star players still went to college. Even at its absolute height, there were only 15-20 players going from HS to the NBA. Also, while you're there look at how many of those 5 stars never played a minute in the NBA.

Again...nobody argued this either. The difference is that they had the OPTION to enter the free market across all fronts. That's what's being discussed. Not how they panned out. I'm aware of how many 5 stars never panned out. I'm also aware how many college all american juniors and seniors that didn't make it either.

The fact remains...that TODAY...if the 1% of elite prospects were not playing in the NCAA...it WOULD not be as attractive as it is now to advertisers. Every year millions of people are tuning in to see who the next "one and done" stars are. It's the central storyline going into every season. I never said they weren't "doing fine" before. But numbers don't lie...numbers say that the NCAA is making more in March since the one and done rule than they were making in March prior to that. Why do you think that is?

 

[P C H]

Definitely have a revised view of Lamelo's decision.

Totally dependent on what situation he ends up in overseas, but Melo's a 16 year old prodigy. The idea that he can't become a professional now, even though there are pros in the NBA now who's been pros since Melo's current age, is ridiculous. No reason for Melo to slave away at UCLA, or Chino Hills for that matter. He's a superstar right now, why shouldn't he be able to capitalize off it?

The issue or concern rather, is that Givony mentioned on the pod w/ woj. Him not playing / performing poorly, or him ending up in a terrible league that no one cares about, could do a number on his potential, as his contemporaries get better, and play in front of scouts and coaches stateside.

 

[jjs07]

Prodigy? That's a word, IMO, that's reserved for the likes of someone like Lebron James in, or coming out of HS. A generational talent...someone who can possibly transcend the game, etc. That's a VERY lofty adjective....are we sure that's what LaMelo is right now?

 

[P C H]

Prodigy? That's a word, IMO, that's reserved for the likes of someone like Lebron James in, or coming out of HS. A generational talent...someone who can possibly transcend the game, etc. That's a VERY lofty adjective....are we sure that's what LaMelo is right now?

He’s for sure a child prodigy. For me, that label is all encompassing, not just his basketball skill. Taking that into account, none of those guys were on this level of stardom at 16 years old

 

[jjs07]

He’s for sure a child prodigy. For me, that label is all encompassing, not just his basketball skill. Taking that into account, none of those guys were on this level of stardom at 16 years old

Wait...which guys? You talkin' Lebron? If so, I 1000000000% disagree.

 

[dacomeup]

LeBron was on the cover of SI

 

[jjs07]

IMO, to be considered a child prodigy, there shouldn't be ANY holes in your game at the level you're playing on. Is he even the #1 ranked player in his class? If my memory serves me correct, he had a few very rough games both in AAU and on the HS level this past year.

 

[Cashflow]

I think the guy is arguing more than just basketball. He’s including the following that Melo has in his arguement about him being a prodigy

 

[Mark Antony]

Not sure you can intertwine level of Fame into the child prodigy definition. LeBron was a clear cut prodigy, Melo not so much, but he will be good. i.e he has the tools to develop, Bron on the other hand was ready for the league and showed it. True man amongst boys.

 

[Cashflow]

I think you folks have your timelines mixed up. At 16 Lebby was losing in the state championships, far from a “clear cut prodigy.” It wasn’t until that summer when he put Lenny Cooke in a blender that the hype began.

 

[goledensilence]

 

[Mark Antony]

Losing championships on a team doesn't not make an individual a prodigy. I think y'all have the definition ****** up.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

Not sure you can intertwine level of Fame into the child prodigy definition.

From a literal perspective...this is correct. The term "Prodigy" is 100% performance based. So im not sure that's the proper term to apply to Melo in this case.

As for Lebron...we have to remember that we were living in a completely different time as far as technology goes. With Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc....we probably would have been introduced to Lebron way earlier than 16. Make no mistake...he was still a legend before the media attention. It's just that it wasn't going to be reported NATIONALLY by writers/journalists/etc. until he got to his first real national stage at ABCD camp.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I think you folks have your timelines mixed up. At 16 Lebby was losing in the state championships, far from a “clear cut prodigy.” It wasn’t until that summer when he put Lenny Cooke in a blender that the hype began.

In could be wrong but..

Before Bron turned 17 he had two state championships and one Mr. Ohio and was already featured in Slam Magazine being called the best player in HS as a rising Jr.

He only didn't get the state title in his Jr. year. And I think he went at it with Cooke the summer before his Jr. Year. That would mean he was coming off a state title

 

[biggie62]

Lemelo doesn’t even have the same hype that Sebastian Telfair had and you’re calling him generational? y’all are wild.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

Lemelo doesn’t even have the same hype that Sebastian Telfair had and you’re calling him generational? y’all are wild.

Hype? He most certainly does.

 

[RustyShackleford]

The thing about Melo is that he how crafty he is for a kid his age. The scooping layups, the floaters, the hesitation moves. Not that no other high school payer has this thing I don't see that many at that age pulling off what Melo does with the ease he does it with. Also while Gelo struggle against top ranked team this season, Melo as 15 year old did decent.

He has a lot of bad habits, and that jumper might break on him like his brother. But dude is like 6'4" and growing, get more and more athletic as the months go by so it will be interesting to see what a 20 year old LaMelo would be like. He has the potential to be scary good. And I think that is what shines through with him, his potential.

 

[calibeebee]

Bron wasn't a prodigy until his senior year in HS. At 16, he was just another face on an AAU roster. Lamelo isn't a prodigy now, but he could be considered one in a couple years. He needs to grow like 5-6 inches

 

[VARNELL HILL]

 

[RustyShackleford]

Bron wasn't a prodigy until his senior year in HS. At 16, he was just another face on an AAU roster. Lamelo isn't a prodigy now, but he could be considered one in a couple years. He needs to grow like 5-6 inches

This is not true famb.

He won a couple HS Player of the Year in his Jr. year. I think he was the first non senior to win some of them too.

He was on the Sports Illustrated cover was his Jr. year also.

 

[calibeebee]

This is not true famb.

He won a couple HS Player of the Year in his Jr. year. I think he was the first non senior to win some of them too.

He was on the Sports Illustrated cover was his Jr. year also.

You're right, but the hype was at the end of his junior year, and going into his senior year his games were espn televised. At 16 he was literally a nobody

 

[Mark Antony]

You're doing too much, just concede.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Paying players isn't logistically feasible. It's just not. Like I mentioned most D-1 schools don't generate a profit from collegiate sports and for the ones who do generate, its usually from one or two sports (mens basketball and football and in some cases baseball and some women sports).

I can't believe there are people who still believe this stuff.

1. You believe the bull **** accounting of NCAA schools?

So you think schools are encuring the expense of hiring, multi million dollar coaches, building more and more lavish student centers, building bigger and bigger stadiums...for what? out of the kindness of their hearts? Cmooon man.

even the schools don't make money in a strict accounting sense, the name id, brand value that comes from big time division 1 sports is insanely valuable even if you don't "make money". Take it from me, my family is from Nigeria, many of them go to the US to go to university. My dad went to UCON.

do you know why?

Because he recognized the name because of the god damn basketball team.
My uncle was looking at schools to send his daughter too, he was considering Gonzaga, now why would a old dude from nigeria know about a small catholic school in the pacific north west. BECASUE OF THE GOD DAMN BASKETBALL TEAM.

How are schools supposed to pay athletes a salary when they don't generate money from college athletics? Also, will only athletes from revenue generating sports get paid? What about equestrians? women's tennis?

Don't pay players, but this isn't a reason to preclude EVERYONE from not paying players, this would be like saying well I can't afford a playstation so their should be a law prohibiting the sale of playstations.

Will the schools who generate the most money like Alabama and Texas pay more than the smaller schools like Western Kentucky?

yeah that's how capitalism works my guy.

The playing field would be even more uneven under those circumstances.

and? the playing is already not even you know why?

because teams send ridiculous amounts of money on recruiting visits and building lavish student centers, WHY? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY THE PLAYERS.

If the players really weren't worth paying you wouldn't see all this money spent in perks, but they have to spend it because THEY CAN'T JUST PAY THE PLAYERS.

 

[RustyShackleford]

You're right, but the hype was at the end of his junior year, and going into his senior year his games were espn televised. At 16 he was literally a nobody

Famb his hype was taking off when he was a rising sophomore. He was coming off two state titles and a Mr. Ohio Basketball award and was on USA Today All-USA team.

Anyone into HS basketball in any kinda way knew about Bron before well before his Sr. year. His battles with Cooke and Carmelo were hyped before they happen because he was a known beast.

http://www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/features/ohio-player-lebron-james-first/#RkJVc2TgleutseuV.97

LeBron James is 16 years old, 6 feet, 7 inches tall, and he’s worried about protecting himself from autograph fraud. Well, not worried so much—kid’s got a great sense of humor, and he’s having fun with it—but it’s an issue nonetheless, an undeniable part of his reality. Thing is, he’s a celebrity—small-scale for now, but probably not much longer. He just finished his sophomore season, and yet he might just be the best high school basketball player in America.