Penny Hardaway's Comments On G League

[Crossblock]

Did anyone else see Memphis Coach Hardaway's Comments about the New G League. Essentially he feels that the League is tampering with Player's by recruiting them from High School and depriving them of the opportunity to get a College Education, and he is especially disturbed by the League enticing Players who have committed to Universities but jump to the League and never play in College.
Where to start?
1. I'm sure if we pulled up the Graduation Rate Stats from Memphis Basketball over the past 5 Years we would find out how committed he and the University are to Player's Education.

2 . The G League signing a Player he has recruited is tampering, but his continued recruiting of a Player who has committed to another School is not tampering and is morally and ethically acceptable.

3. If he is under contract to Memphis for several more years, and another College wants to hire him and pay him more money to Coach there, it is not tampering for him to accept the interview and accept the job if that School can reach a financial buyout with Memphis.

Sometimes it is better to stay in your Glass House and keep your Mouth Shut.

 

[Cavanagh]

he does have a point. Forget how shady he might be. It is BS that they would offer kids and actively recruit already committed kids. The NCAA gives the nba a crop of talent every year. It is easier to track and evaluate these players than it would be in the g league. Ncaa should get involved, but they won’t.

 

[Chicago-bound Hoosier]

I said in another post, it opens up a new can of worms for the big schools who go after top 20 recruits, knowing these kids may 'commit' and still never show up, all the while the coach and school uses time and expense in their recruiting efforts.

But yeah, Penny probably isn't the best choice to carry the message.

 

[jimmygoiu]

I said in another post, it opens up a new can of worms for the big schools who go after top 20 recruits, knowing these kids may 'commit' and still never show up, all the while the coach and school uses time and expense in their recruiting efforts.

But yeah, Penny probably isn't the best choice to carry the message.

He will always be part of the Memphis family.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

With so much more focus these days on the country's (and world's) best HS/AAU/Prep School players, the G League is understandably making a concerted effort to improve their own product and visibility. Too many of the players on G League rosters are ones who are on the outside-looking-in on making the show. There have been some good names on their rosters at times. But most of them are just a notch below -- attendance has never been very good...and I don't think those are unrelated. The NBA is well aware of the fate of the CBA and I'm sure they see these HS phenoms as attractions to put butts in seats and avoid the CBA's fate.

College coaches may not like this new development -- however they go about approaching prospects. But it's not hard to see how both the players and the G League (and, by proxy, the NBA) would mutually benefit.

There's not much the NCAA or its member institutions or coaches can do about this. It might help a little bit to allow the student-athletes to be able to earn money from their names and likenesses. That seems long overdue, whether it helps with this issue or not.

I do think they need to figure out a way to have a pretty good idea which prospects/recruits are going to go to the G League (or elsewhere) and which ones aren't.

 

[IUclover]

3. If he is under contract to Memphis for several more years, and another College wants to hire him and pay him more money to Coach there, it is not tampering for him to accept the interview and accept the job if that School can reach a financial buyout with Memphis.

This is my thought as well. Coaches whine about guys decommitting and transferring, but they're pretty silent about coaches jumping around. Maybe they should sit out for a year before taking another job.

 

[jsig]

If these HS players going to the G-League are getting a 500k salary then isn't that good start in paying for college?

 

[cryano]

If these HS players going to the G-League are getting a 500k salary then isn't that good start in paying for college?

like anyone would turn down $500k for a year to turn it into 3-12 times that per year for the next 3-5 years...

Hell - you can go be a teacher, an aau coach, a nurse, acct or truck driver any day after you take that $500k...

 

[IUNorth]

If these HS players going to the G-League are getting a 500k salary then isn't that good start in paying for college?

Are there provisions in their G League contracts where the league will help pay for college? Thought I had heard that.

I’m not certain of all the details, obviously. But if the League isn’t making provisions to help with college, for kids that choose to forgot college...I still wouldn’t worry about the 500Kers. They’ll nearly all get drafted. It’s the 100Kers, or the lower level kids I’d be more concerned with if there’s no college help.

In the end though, if a kid is borderline on whether they’d offer him a contract, and he still chooses to skip college...decent chance he had no plans on taking college seriously anyway.

 

[ufo33]

Penny joined the College Coaching ranks to be another Calipari only to have the G-League change their rules and pay scale to basically be a legal Cal recruited team and be legally paid to play. Penny is over-rated as a coach, living off of his fame and name.

 

[h20pls]

Did anyone else see Memphis Coach Hardaway's Comments about the New G League. Essentially he feels that the League is tampering with Player's by recruiting them from High School and depriving them of the opportunity to get a College Education, and he is especially disturbed by the League enticing Players who have committed to Universities but jump to the League and never play in College.
Where to start?
1. I'm sure if we pulled up the Graduation Rate Stats from Memphis Basketball over the past 5 Years we would find out how committed he and the University are to Player's Education.

2 . The G League signing a Player he has recruited is tampering, but his continued recruiting of a Player who has committed to another School is not tampering and is morally and ethically acceptable.

3. If he is under contract to Memphis for several more years, and another College wants to hire him and pay him more money to Coach there, it is not tampering for him to accept the interview and accept the job if that School can reach a financial buyout with Memphis.

Sometimes it is better to stay in your Glass House and keep your Mouth Shut.

I never understood why an 18 yo is prohibited from going out and making a living. My 18 yo is graduating a semester early and goes to basic training in January 2021. Why can't a kid make a living playing ball?

 

[Birnk403]

I never understood why an 18 yo is prohibited from going out and making a living. My 18 yo is graduating a semester early and goes to basic training in January 2021. Why can't a kid make a living playing ball?

An 18 year old can make a living playing basketball. He can go overseas, and now he can go G. If the NBA isn’t available, it’s because the NBA and it’s player’s union have determined they aren’t eligible. The same happens in companies all over America.

 

[Crossblock]

I never understood why an 18 yo is prohibited from going out and making a living. My 18 yo is graduating a semester early and goes to basic training in January 2021. Why can't a kid make a living playing ball?

My problem isn't with an 18 Year Old playing pro Basketball. My problem is with the Coaches who express concern about the Players and Ethical Principles, especially when they can't walk the walk themselves.

 

[Chicago-bound Hoosier]

He will always be part of the Memphis family.

gotta love a Josh Smith reference.

 

[h20pls]

My problem isn't with an 18 Year Old playing pro Basketball. My problem is with the Coaches who express concern about the Players and Ethical Principles, especially when they can't walk the walk themselves.

Oh I agree with that....

 

[Chicago-bound Hoosier]

An 18 year old can make a living playing basketball. He can go overseas, and now he can go G. If the NBA isn’t available, it’s because the NBA and it’s player’s union have determined they aren’t eligible. The same happens in companies all over America.

I argued this topic with Birnk several weeks ago, and have done some research since. Technically he is correct. The Age Discrimination Act was set up to protect employees OVER the age of 40. It does not protect people under that age. Some states have laws that protect people legally of age to be employed, but since it's not a Federal law (and the NFL and NBA have teams across the nation-and in the NBA's case, in Canada) it cannot be applied to these leagues, and protect 18-19 yr olds aspiring to play pro ball early.

Basketball players have options between overseas and now the G league. For football players, you're options are few....actually none (unless you want to try your luck with Canuck football). The players' union does what unions do- protect their current members.

Maurice Clarett challenged this rule yrs ago, and actually won his case..then being the moron he is, showed up at camp overweight and out of shape, and got cut before the first game.

 

[VanPastorMan]

My problem isn't with an 18 Year Old playing pro Basketball. My problem is with the Coaches who express concern about the Players and Ethical Principles, especially when they can't walk the walk themselves.

For Penny to talk about education bothers me. First, did he get a degree himself? He left Memphis early but perhaps he got a degree later. Second, these kids who are going the G league route were gonna be one and done players anyway so where is this precious education he is talking about?

 

[VanPastorMan]

gotta love a Josh Smith reference.

Could we make a case that the NBA tampered with Josh Smith who had verballed to IU? If it is the G League or the NBA what is the difference?

 

[Chicago-bound Hoosier]

Could we make a case that the NBA tampered with Josh Smith who had verballed to IU? If it is the G League or the NBA what is the difference?

well an agent definitely got into his head. But no laws were broken. With the G league throwing bigger money at these top recruits, you are going to see more Josh Smiths in the next couple yrs.

 

[VanPastorMan]

well an agent definitely got into his head. But no laws were broken. With the G league throwing bigger money at these top recruits, you are going to see more Josh Smiths in the next couple yrs.

I do agree with that. If I had a son who was very good, but needed some instruction to play at the NBA level I would probably advise him to go the G League route.

 

[Chicago-bound Hoosier]

I do agree with that. If I had a son who was very good, but needed some instruction to play at the NBA level I would probably advise him to go the G League route.

me too, under the condition that my boy promised to, at the very least, take a personal finance course at the local comm college. And get rid of all 'hanger ons' who will bleed him dry of cash on his 'way up'.

 

[Tru2Irish]

A lot of these kids that UK and Memphis recruit have no desire to get an education or even attend classes if bogus grades are created for them. Calipari and Hardaway are only looking out for their own interest. If they suddenly have to recruit plan B recruits,their coaching abilities or inabilities are put out there in game situations. UK has already done less with more than any team I know. Hardaway already had his hand in the cookie jar with Wiseman. These guys are more interested in padding win totals than kids' education. Either NBA WILL BE WATERED DOWN TOO MUCH OR KIDS THAT STAY 3-4 YEARS AT COLLEGES MAY GET DRAFTED THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT HAVE. Win-win for kids.

 

[T.M.P.]

A lot of these kids that UK and Memphis recruit have no desire to get an education or even attend classes if bogus grades are created for them. Calipari and Hardaway are only looking out for their own interest. If they suddenly have to recruit plan B recruits,their coaching abilities or inabilities are put out there in game situations. UK has already done less with more than any team I know. Hardaway already had his hand in the cookie jar with Wiseman. These guys are more interested in padding win totals than kids' education. Either NBA WILL BE WATERED DOWN TOO MUCH OR KIDS THAT STAY 3-4 YEARS AT COLLEGES MAY GET DRAFTED THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT HAVE. Win-win for kids.

They choose to get an education in the entertainment industry - ie playing basketball. Which is their calling and dream.

 

[h20pls]

I argued this topic with Birnk several weeks ago, and have done some research since. Technically he is correct. The Age Discrimination Act was set up to protect employees OVER the age of 40. It does not protect people under that age. Some states have laws that protect people legally of age to be employed, but since it's not a Federal law (and the NFL and NBA have teams across the nation-and in the NBA's case, in Canada) it cannot be applied to these leagues, and protect 18-19 yr olds aspiring to play pro ball early.

Basketball players have options between overseas and now the G league. For football players, you're options are few....actually none (unless you want to try your luck with Canuck football). The players' union does what unions do- protect their current members.

Maurice Clarett challenged this rule yrs ago, and actually won his case..then being the moron he is, showed up at camp overweight and out of shape, and got cut before the first game.

I'm not debating or arguing, FWIW, I'm making a pretty simple 'life, liberty and pursuit of happiness'-kinda statement. Not sure I care what the unions think about this...let the kid earn a living...I am happy to see kids have some options to go overseas or G-league.

All things being equal. I value my mechanic, wait staff, doctor, accountant, etc., far more than professional athletes...