How come it's a lot easier for a rookie to become an instant star in the NBA unlike the NFL and the MLB?
464241
I dont feel it is easier. Look at how many rookies fail miserably in the NBA. Every year in the NBA most rookies are not very good. There are exceptions, LeBron, Carmello, D Wade, were all very good 3 years ago as rookies. But look at the Michael Olowokandi's, the Darko Milicic's, the Kwame Brown's. In the NBA, the top 10 picks in the draft are always expected to be great, when in reality very few are. Kobe, Garnett, Jermaine O 'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Illguaskas, Gilbert Arenas, they were all drafted late and didnt blossom until a few years down the road. In the NFL and MLB it is hard to become very good very fast normally due to a lack of PT, or playing time (for the sports impaired). MLB rookies normally go right to the minors and spend some seasons their which improves their game much faster. In the NFL, very few rookies break out onto the scene in a hurry. It all depends on the right player, in the right situation, at the right time in a ny sport.
337897
you have superstars' ego to satisfy in the NBA...\n\nit's in their contract to run a lot of individual plays for them...
196049
ESPN has suddenly started showing more stories relating to high school sports because they want to capitalize on the athletes who are as talented as Kobe and Lebron were when they weren't from high school to the pros.  Hence the primary focus is on high school basketball because the NFL restricts high school athletes from entering into the draft.
84871
I haven't followed the NBA for many years for this very reason.\n\nWhile all professional sports seem to have their share of athletes who seem to only care about their statistics and how that translates into a paycheck, there seems to be a lot more of it in the NBA.
832137
Look if you really want to go pro then all you got to do is believe in yourself, and allways look to improve your game. Look at Kevin Garnett, do you know how hard he works during the offseason? he works his @$$ off because he wants to be better than what he already is.
1102986
Well, when they get to the NBA, the centers are big and strong like Shaq. They need to put on more weight to get past the other centers. Just like a rookie, they need much experience. For example, Dwayne Wade had to train for 3 years to win a NBA Finals. Everyone needs training.
463926
The NBA has it so that you can still be higher seed, but not have homecourt advantage. The team with the better record will get homecourt advantage, even if the other team has a higher ranking.
1174604
I watched most of the playoffs, and the refs were good except for when it came to one player: Wade.\nThat's why he broke the record for most free throws made in a Finals game.\nUntil the NBA adopts instant replay like the NFL and NHL, the stars and superstars like Wade, Kobe, LeBron, etc. will receive foul shots any time they go to the paint. The NBA would be so much better with instant replay, especially for the Finals.\nLook at what it's done for the NFL.
618167
The vast majority are drafted out of college.  More and more teams are drafting high school players (especially pitchers), but some teams refuse to draft high school players because it's too risky.  Natural talent is obvious but maturity is still a big question.
537954
NBA players make a lot more than NFL players.  Plus the money is guaranteed while no one in the NFL has guaranteed contracts.
1090070
wnba is still pretty new compared to the nba. wnba needs people to show up at their games.
293550
Pushing the age up to 20 to enter into the NBA is a farce...Not to mention it's illegal. I'm not from the States, nor did I study American contract law, but if it's anything like Canadian contract law, a person can sign a legally binding contract at the age of 18.  There is no other reason to bump up the age for the aforementioned reasons (older NBA players losing their jobs, "better education", better conditioning), but I honestly think that the NCAA has put pressure on the NBA, because the NCAA is losing out on a lot of money too when these "can't miss high school" phenoms jump right to the NBA.  Just think how many LeBron James UNC, UConn, UCLA, whatever college he would have attended for 2 years jerseys would have sold, not to mention the TV revenues it would have generated, and that goes for all the other players too.  I'm just waiting until this one gets to court.  If the age increase is upheld...I'd have to take a serious look at the court systems....lol  It's not the players' fault that all these NBA teams are drafting them right out of high school.  Keep in mind too, that with the NEW D-League not withstanding, the NBA doesn't really have a minor league to "raise" their players, like the NHL or MLB.  Personally I think the age should have stayed at 18, but introduce a much better minor league, that way, everyone is happy.  I'll get off my soapbox now...lol  \nAnd for the guy below that thinks I'm an idiot, so you're telling me then an 18 year old is NOT allowed to sign a legally binding contract in the USA.  He can vote, he can go to war and put his life on the line for your country, but he can't play in the NBA.  If the players aren't physically or mentally ready to play in the NBA, shouldn't that be a decision made by the GMs and coaching staffs?  After all, your government thinks they are physically and mentally fit to join the forces, why not the NBA?  I have a number of friends who are in the American Army who have spent time in Iraq, and I'm sure they would tell you it's a little more demanding than the NBA.  If the kid isn't ready for the NBA then don't draft him.  Just for arguments sake, what if Kobe, T-Mac, LeBron, M.Malone, etc  go to college, because they were forced to,  suffer a career ending injury in those 2 "mandatory years" and don't see a dime.  What then?  Fall back on an education, after they lose their scholarship because they can't play basketball?  Would the NBA be prepared to pay compensation damages for lost wages, because that player actually was ready to play in the NBA after high school.  After all, don't Americans sue for everything?
392403
Hip-hop culture definitely had an amazing affect on the game. It used to be about winning and winning only. Now it's half about just being flashy. It's not necessarily a bad thing though in my opinion. It's part of what makes the game fun to play (if you have skills) and fun to watch. I think black players such as LeBron James don't NEED fundamentals. They're so athletically gifted it really doesn't matter. White players have a tendency to be less athletically gifted. So they have to learn some fundamentals to exploit themselves to their full potential. I'm not trying to be racist but it's true. I don't really think white players are dominating the NBA either I think you might need to rephrase that...
27
The NBA does have minor leagues - they're called the CBA, and the International leagues. :)\nSeriously - because viewers seem to value explosiveness over efficiency, I think we're seeing a major shift in the average age of NBA players towards young athletes that are quicker, high-flying and more resilient to injury. I wouldn't be surprised at all if by the end of this decade the average age of the league allstars is well under 25.
366045
By me being a shooting guard, tht's easy. You don't have to be the best shooter on the floor to be a star. It would help, but that's all of it. Just work hard on ball handling, speed, and watching the court. \nWalk around with a basketball EVERYWHERE you go; just dribbling, crossing, all kinds of stuff. \nAnd, with your speed, just do Suicides, timing your runs, and do leg exercises. It only doesn't help your speed, it helps your jump. So, you won't just have to play the top, you can get down with the big guys and grab rebounds. \nWith watching the court, you just have to click with your teammates and know how their game is on the court. You have to know exactly how they come cross the court, how they like their passes made to them, and KEEP EYE CONTACT!!!!! Most important! No matter what, you have to have eye contact on your teammate so that the passes are on point. Also, to watch for players running for the ball, what I do is look my opponent DIRECTLY in the eye, if I see one of my players starting to make a cut, look at them and hit them with the assist.\nBasically, that's all the tips I can give you on that. If you need anything else, hit me up snoopdapimp06@yahoo.com
831093
Yeah, but NFL careers are on average only 4 seasons. Body takes a pounding. I doubt anyone calculates pay per hour/minute...besides you are just talking game time. NFL players practice and study film way more per week than NBAers. Plus off-season they have a zillion workouts from actual working on their own to mini-camps etc.
44741
players today are great athletes,but the vast majority don't have basic fundamental skills. You can count on one hand the number of players who can hit a 12 foot shot from the baseline. Everything is either a dunk attempt or a 3 pointer. I don't really blame the players for that, I would put most of the blame on ESPN...what do they show in their basketball highlights? Dunks and 3 pointers. That's how you get on ESPN... \n\nThere is no real team play (on most teams) because of the lack of all around skills of most players. (San Antonio and Detroit are the exceptions, that's why they win the way they do). \n\nEuropean players are better all around players than U.S. players now (evidenced by the USA's pathetic showing in recent Olympic and International competition). This is because they learned the game from the USA in the 50s and 60s, and are now using that style of play against us.\n\nYeah, I know, our "best" nba players don't all go to the olympics anymore, but our college players used to wipe the floor against the best professional teams from the USSR and Eastern Europe...\n\nThen, you've got the non-existent, made-for-ESPN "rivalry" between "Bron" and "Melo"... ESPN and the NBA are trying to make this into the new Bird vs Magic rivalry... guess what NBA? it's NOT WORKING!\n\nThey're both in their 3rd year, and their teams still suck...\n\nThere are no good centers in the league any more, other than Shaq (it remains to be seen how good Yao will become). Ben Wallace is a good player, but even his game is very limited...he's a good rebounder, and a good defender, but can't shoot worth a.....\n\nJermaine ONeal is a great player, made greater by the lack of decent centers...\n\nKwame Brown?  Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Are you kidding me?\n\nYou have shooting guards that can't put the ball on the floor, and you have point guards like Jason Kidd that can't shoot worth a .... \n\nPlayers are becoming so specialized that it's becoming impossible to sit through a game any more... \n\nFans are more accepting of this type of play now, and ESPN gets carried away with a player's 'accomplishments'... a 10 point, 5 rebound, 4 assist game is considered a great all around game..just watch espn sportcenter or espn news, they'll actually highlight that a player had 15 pts and 3 rebounds, as though that constitued a great all around effort...\n\nFor the most part, the dunks we see today are often more exciting than they were 20 or so years ago (except for Dr J's), but in terms of the ability to play all facets of the game, it's getting worse. Players are drafted after high school or after 1 year of college, and they can't play the game yet..but it doesn't matter, because most of the guys in the league can't play either...