NBA's elimination of one and done rule has been a remarkable step for the industry. With this, the biggest stakeholders gathered together to create an unprecedented agreement, allowing NBA to start formally working with the Nation's potential top basket basketball players. This is to prepare the teenagers for their professional future career.
According to ABC News, NCAA, NBA and National Basketball Players Association revealed on August 29 that their gathering together is for showing support to the USA Basketball and their Junior National Team.
For the very first time, these groups have gathered together to formally combined resources toward the same goal. The four parties are on the same page, compare to what happened earlier this month, where NCAA revealed changes to it eligibility rules allowing students to be recruited by agents. Of course, hearing this announcement, NBA and USA Basketball team was surprised.
The report revealed USA Basketball identified top young players, particularly teenagers, for decades to bring them together and be trained for international competitions. Over eighty players are involved in the program or can be considered as twenty per high school class. They have nothing to worry about because the NBA will assist in health and wellness training, along with providing other developmental programs. As for the partial date, this series of training camps are set to happen in October at USA Basketball's headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In addition, the expanded program will place athletic trainers, doctors, and experts in health and performance all year round to the players. As the report, it will be led by veteran Boston Celtics Athletic Trainer Ed Lacerte. If the program becomes fully operational, it will certainly improve the training and care. Aside from this, the NBA officials and teams will have a chance to evaluate and work with players. This is projected to happen several years before the protégés enter the draft eligibility.
"We've been looking to get more involved in elite youth basketball for several years. We really have a sense of urgency around it. This is exactly what we've been saying we need to do," said the NBA president for social responsibility and player programs, Kathy Behrens.
Moreover, the NBA discussed when to change the age limit and study a number of multiple avenues and determine where to get involved. As of now, the international basketball league is taking things step by step. They wanted to prevent and correct the errors that happened in 2005, where the adoption of age was forced.
