NBA off limits until '07 for star headed to OSU (and ABCD)
The way Mike Conley sees it, Greg Oden has been robbed of the opportunity to make millions of dollars for at least a year. The way Jim Salmon sees it, that is positively "un-American."
Oden is the 7-foot, 245-pound center from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis who is projected as "The Next Great Big Man" in the NBA. An honor roll student who averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks a game last year, he will be a senior next season.
With the option of jumping to the NBA next year, possibly as the No. 1 overall pick, having been taken away from him by the league's recent collective bargaining agreement, Oden did what many had expected on Wednesday: he made an oral commitment to Ohio State at a press conference at his high school. Mike Conley Jr., his teammate and the son of Conley, Oden's advisor and AAU coach, also will play for coach Thad Matta at Ohio State.
"We have decided that the place to accomplish our future goals was at the Ohio State University," said Oden, who, along with Conley Jr., is scheduled to arrive in New Jersey on Monday for Sonny Vaccaro's annual Reebok ABCD Camp at Fairleigh Dickinson.
Oden, 17, had said all along that he "wanted to go to college," and had narrowed his choices to Ohio State, Indiana, Wake Forest and Michigan. But the option of jumping to the NBA in 2006 remained a very real possibility until the league's new collective bargaining agreement instituted an age floor of 19 for entrance into the league. NBA Commissioner David Stern had long lobbied for a minimum age of 20, and the result was a compromise between the players and the league.
"For a guy that's in Greg's shoes, or that could potentially be in his shoes come this time next year, it just takes away the option (of going pro)," Conley said Tuesday in a phone interview. "If something was to happen in his life next year and he is viewed upon as being as marketable as a LeBron James coming out of high school, it takes away his ability to make $50 to $100 million next year. He doesn't have that option to make that choice."
What exactly is the difference between 19 and 18, anyway, Conley and others have asked.
"I think it's un-American," said Salmon, head of the New Jersey-based Playaz AAU club. "People don't want to hear this, but there are a lot fewer casualties than people think there are as far as kids coming into the league at the age of 18. I'm sure there's some, but this is no remedy. This is not a remedy."
Oden led Lawrence North to its second straight Class 4A championship in March and was chosen national player of the year by USA Today, Gatorade and Parade magazine. He joined James as the only players to be named National High School Player of the Year as juniors.
During Tuesday's NBA Draft, the last to permit the entrance of high school players, Andrew Bogut of Utah was taken No. 1 overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. Bogut will receive a guaranteed three-year contract worth in excess of $14 million and his agent, David Bauman, was quoted as saying that Bogut will earn more than $100 million over his career before endorsements.
Later in the draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected 17-year-old Andrew Bynum of St. Joe's (Metuchen) with the No. 10 pick. Barring some unforeseen change in league rules, Bynum is likely to be remembered as the youngest player ever drafted into the NBA.
Yet players like Oden and fellow ABCD Camp attendee Derrick Caracter of St. Patrick's (Elizabeth) must wait an extra year for the opportunity to play in the NBA. O.J. Mayo, the junior phenom out of Cincinnati, will also have to wait before jumping. Caracter will have to choose between spending a year in college (Rutgers fan are dreaming of a one-year stint in Piscataway), attending a prep school or enrolling in the IMG Academy in Florida.
"Who knows?" Salmon asked rhetorically. "They may go to college and bomb out and then who knows what happens after that? Jason Fraser four years ago was perceived to be a top 15 pick. I don't know if people would still say that now with him coming out of (Villanova). He's had a decent college career but it's been hampered by injuries... .Unfortunately, his career might be on its downside."
Oden's mother, Zoe, works in a hospital and raises Greg and his younger brother by herself. She told The Associated Press that she wasn't happy with the new NBA rule, either.
"I'm teed off because I just don't understand what they're trying to prove or what this will accomplish," she said. "This means that Greg is held back a year. The option has been taken from him."
And what happens if Oden gets hurt at Ohio State next year?
"It's said and done, so there's nothing you can do about it now," Oden told The Indianapolis Star about the new NBA rule. "I'm not sad, but I feel bad for whenever the next LeBron comes along and he has to go to college and something happens, either he gets injured or doesn't live up to expectations."
Zoe Oden has reportedly been looking into insurance coverage for her son since he was a freshman because he regularly takes a physical beating in games, but was told by Lawrence North administrators and coaches that policies were available only to high school seniors.
To appreciate Zoe Oden's concerns, one need only remember the case of Miami running back Willis McGahee, who suffered a horrific knee injury in the national football title game in 2003. McGahee recovered and now plays for the Buffalo Bills, but because his injury was perceived by some to be career-ending at the time, interest in the NCAA insurance program spiked.
On top of all this, Conley is upset that the new collective bargaining agreement decreases the length of guaranteed contracts given to first-round NBA draft picks from three years to two.
"The thing that upset me more was the reduction for the guaranteed rookie contracts," Conley said. "When the league gets in trouble in negotiations, the young kids are the ones who suffer.
"None of it's fair toward the kids."
Despite these concerns, experts say the new collective bargaining agreement is likely to withstand any legal challenge.
"The reason why the NBA's minimum age is and should be immune from our antitrust law is because it was not just one wanted in design by the owners, like those of the champion San Antonio Spurs, but also by the labor union, made up of players like Tim Duncan and his teammates and competitors," Harvard University law professor Paul Weiler, who writes regularly on the subject, wrote in an email. "This brand of labor exemption is perfectly justifiable because the major beneficiaries are the veteran but marginal teammates of Duncan who can all hold onto their jobs and salaries somewhat longer as their eventual replacements like Oden and Mayo get not only a bit older but also somewhat more skilled."
Fair or not, Oden will have another year to think about his next move. But don't be surprised if you hear his name on draft night in 2007.
"As of today he's going to college," Conley said. "(Down the line) if there's an endorsement deal that yields him $60 or 70 million, then you say, 'Greg, let's make a decision.' It may not be the same decision (as the one he made this year), I don't know. But that decision is not available to him now."
Reach Adam Zagoria at (973) 569-7156 or [email protected].
You must be registered for see images
The way Mike Conley sees it, Greg Oden has been robbed of the opportunity to make millions of dollars for at least a year. The way Jim Salmon sees it, that is positively "un-American."
Oden is the 7-foot, 245-pound center from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis who is projected as "The Next Great Big Man" in the NBA. An honor roll student who averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks a game last year, he will be a senior next season.
With the option of jumping to the NBA next year, possibly as the No. 1 overall pick, having been taken away from him by the league's recent collective bargaining agreement, Oden did what many had expected on Wednesday: he made an oral commitment to Ohio State at a press conference at his high school. Mike Conley Jr., his teammate and the son of Conley, Oden's advisor and AAU coach, also will play for coach Thad Matta at Ohio State.
"We have decided that the place to accomplish our future goals was at the Ohio State University," said Oden, who, along with Conley Jr., is scheduled to arrive in New Jersey on Monday for Sonny Vaccaro's annual Reebok ABCD Camp at Fairleigh Dickinson.
Oden, 17, had said all along that he "wanted to go to college," and had narrowed his choices to Ohio State, Indiana, Wake Forest and Michigan. But the option of jumping to the NBA in 2006 remained a very real possibility until the league's new collective bargaining agreement instituted an age floor of 19 for entrance into the league. NBA Commissioner David Stern had long lobbied for a minimum age of 20, and the result was a compromise between the players and the league.
"For a guy that's in Greg's shoes, or that could potentially be in his shoes come this time next year, it just takes away the option (of going pro)," Conley said Tuesday in a phone interview. "If something was to happen in his life next year and he is viewed upon as being as marketable as a LeBron James coming out of high school, it takes away his ability to make $50 to $100 million next year. He doesn't have that option to make that choice."
What exactly is the difference between 19 and 18, anyway, Conley and others have asked.
"I think it's un-American," said Salmon, head of the New Jersey-based Playaz AAU club. "People don't want to hear this, but there are a lot fewer casualties than people think there are as far as kids coming into the league at the age of 18. I'm sure there's some, but this is no remedy. This is not a remedy."
Oden led Lawrence North to its second straight Class 4A championship in March and was chosen national player of the year by USA Today, Gatorade and Parade magazine. He joined James as the only players to be named National High School Player of the Year as juniors.
During Tuesday's NBA Draft, the last to permit the entrance of high school players, Andrew Bogut of Utah was taken No. 1 overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. Bogut will receive a guaranteed three-year contract worth in excess of $14 million and his agent, David Bauman, was quoted as saying that Bogut will earn more than $100 million over his career before endorsements.
Later in the draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected 17-year-old Andrew Bynum of St. Joe's (Metuchen) with the No. 10 pick. Barring some unforeseen change in league rules, Bynum is likely to be remembered as the youngest player ever drafted into the NBA.
Yet players like Oden and fellow ABCD Camp attendee Derrick Caracter of St. Patrick's (Elizabeth) must wait an extra year for the opportunity to play in the NBA. O.J. Mayo, the junior phenom out of Cincinnati, will also have to wait before jumping. Caracter will have to choose between spending a year in college (Rutgers fan are dreaming of a one-year stint in Piscataway), attending a prep school or enrolling in the IMG Academy in Florida.
"Who knows?" Salmon asked rhetorically. "They may go to college and bomb out and then who knows what happens after that? Jason Fraser four years ago was perceived to be a top 15 pick. I don't know if people would still say that now with him coming out of (Villanova). He's had a decent college career but it's been hampered by injuries... .Unfortunately, his career might be on its downside."
Oden's mother, Zoe, works in a hospital and raises Greg and his younger brother by herself. She told The Associated Press that she wasn't happy with the new NBA rule, either.
"I'm teed off because I just don't understand what they're trying to prove or what this will accomplish," she said. "This means that Greg is held back a year. The option has been taken from him."
And what happens if Oden gets hurt at Ohio State next year?
"It's said and done, so there's nothing you can do about it now," Oden told The Indianapolis Star about the new NBA rule. "I'm not sad, but I feel bad for whenever the next LeBron comes along and he has to go to college and something happens, either he gets injured or doesn't live up to expectations."
Zoe Oden has reportedly been looking into insurance coverage for her son since he was a freshman because he regularly takes a physical beating in games, but was told by Lawrence North administrators and coaches that policies were available only to high school seniors.
To appreciate Zoe Oden's concerns, one need only remember the case of Miami running back Willis McGahee, who suffered a horrific knee injury in the national football title game in 2003. McGahee recovered and now plays for the Buffalo Bills, but because his injury was perceived by some to be career-ending at the time, interest in the NCAA insurance program spiked.
On top of all this, Conley is upset that the new collective bargaining agreement decreases the length of guaranteed contracts given to first-round NBA draft picks from three years to two.
"The thing that upset me more was the reduction for the guaranteed rookie contracts," Conley said. "When the league gets in trouble in negotiations, the young kids are the ones who suffer.
"None of it's fair toward the kids."
Despite these concerns, experts say the new collective bargaining agreement is likely to withstand any legal challenge.
"The reason why the NBA's minimum age is and should be immune from our antitrust law is because it was not just one wanted in design by the owners, like those of the champion San Antonio Spurs, but also by the labor union, made up of players like Tim Duncan and his teammates and competitors," Harvard University law professor Paul Weiler, who writes regularly on the subject, wrote in an email. "This brand of labor exemption is perfectly justifiable because the major beneficiaries are the veteran but marginal teammates of Duncan who can all hold onto their jobs and salaries somewhat longer as their eventual replacements like Oden and Mayo get not only a bit older but also somewhat more skilled."
Fair or not, Oden will have another year to think about his next move. But don't be surprised if you hear his name on draft night in 2007.
"As of today he's going to college," Conley said. "(Down the line) if there's an endorsement deal that yields him $60 or 70 million, then you say, 'Greg, let's make a decision.' It may not be the same decision (as the one he made this year), I don't know. But that decision is not available to him now."
Reach Adam Zagoria at (973) 569-7156 or [email protected].
Last edited:
:notworthy
