Age as a Barrier to Entry in the NBA

Jermaine O'Neal accuses the NBA of upping the age limit to play in the NBA as a barrier to entry against blacks.

``As a black guy, you kind of think that's the reason why it's coming up. 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?''
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The NBA's seven-year labor agreement expires after the season and NBA commissioner David Stern has asked for a 20-year-old age limit in the next deal, with incentives provided to players who defer their draft eligibility to stay in college. The union originally opposed raising the current age limit of 18, but has begun to waver.

A pretty good argument. And of course the players' union is agreeing to the change. Better protect insider's interests.

On a related note, via email a friend (whom shall remain nameless unless he lets me know otherwise) makes the following comment regarding why so few blacks participating in Major League Baseball.

As an athlete there is a much more certain return in baseball than any other professional sports league. There is no minimum education requirement (skipping college is common not the exception) and there are a lot more jobs with the minor league system. Then you look at  salaries, career lengths, and injury rates of baseball, and I can't understand why anyone would choose football (ever) or basketball.  Bo Jackson might still be DHing somewhere if he hadn't played football.  I would think that the economic returns in baseball would be a huge attraction for all those kids out there who go pro due to a "family financial situation."

Why does MLB and the NHL (which are comprised of predominantly white players) shun age limits while the NFL and NBA insist on them?