Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes the best prospects are better off playing in the NBA’s Developmental League instead of going to college.
“I think what will end up happening — and this is my opinion, not that of the league — is if the colleges don’t change from the one-and-done, we’ll go after the one,” Cuban said, via ESPN.
Cuban pointed to the one and done scenario which currently is taking place at the NCAA level. Currently players must be one year out of high school and 19 years old to play in the NBA. They can play in the D-League at 18.
“The NCAA rules are so hypocritical, there’s absolutely no reason for a kid to go [to college], because he’s not going to class [and] he’s actually not even able to take advantage of all the fun because the first semester he starts playing basketball. So if the goal is just to graduate to the NBA or be an NBA player, go to the D-League.”
Cuban admitted he had not studied the idea fully so he’s not even sure if it would work but said it would eliminate the pretend situation that currently exists in the NCAA.
“You don’t have to pretend. We don’t have to pretend. A major college has to pretend that they’re treating them like a student-athlete, and it’s a big lie and we all know it’s a big lie. At least at most schools, not all. … But we can put more of an emphasis on their education. We can plan it out, have tutors. We can do all kinds of things that the NCAA doesn’t allow schools to do that would really put the individual first.”
