NBA Commissioner David Stern is throwing around the idea of raising the NBA's minimum age from 19 years old to 20. "We are seeking to raise that to 20 or two years out of high school. The NFL's minimum age is 3 years after high school. I'm optimistic the union will agree to some raise in the minimum age in the current collective bargaining," Stern said in a recent interview. The NBA's seven year labor agreement expires after the season. The union originally opposed raising the current age of 18, but has begun to waver.

     The past two rookie of the year were drafted out of high school in Lebron James and Amare Stoudemire. A lot of the leagues stars never attended college. The idea of raising the age level will accomplish what? These young players that come out early either have the gift or not and going to college for a year will just prolong the inevitable. Your starting to see it now in college where players are jumping right to the NBA straight after their freshmen year.

     Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal is one of the leagues best talents whom went straight to the NBA out of high school. He has been front and center in speaking out against David Stern's agenda. "You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. To say you have to be 20, 21 to get in the league, it's unconstitutional. If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18 why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?" O'Neal said. A lot of the current players seem to feel this way but the Union and Owners feel it gives these players more time to develop before they invest millions into them.

     Basketball should have just stuck with the old agenda of once your out of high school your eligible to play. NBA teams can make up their own minds if they want to take the risk of drafting a young talent out of high school. Once the age is raised to 20 then before you know it where talking about 21, 22, and maybe you have to graduate from college. When does it stop? Let the market dictate the players it wants and it doesn't need David Stern and the Union telling them how old a player needs to be before they can draft them. David Stern needs to get off his high horse and focus on creating a better playoff system!