NBPA General Counsel Gary Kohlman indicated Thursday that the union will want the age limit for going pro "lowered in the next round of collective bargaining," according to Tim Reynolds of the AP. Kohlman during a panel discussion about college athletics at a sports law conference said it is "quite likely the union will be taking a radically different position" than the NBA on the age issue. Reynolds noted that will "almost certainly be a contentious point between the sides when they sit down in the future." Kohlman: "If they were white and hockey players they would be out there playing. If they were white and baseball players they would be out there playing. Because most of them are actually African-American and are in a sport and precluded from doing it, they have to go into this absurd world of playing for one year." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has often said that he "favors a model where the age limit for entry into the league is actually raised from 19 to 20 in the next labor deal." Kohlman added that NBPA Exec Dir Michele Roberts "believes in capitalism." He also "essentially asked why talented young athletes and talented young entertainers aren't both able to maximize their financial potential" (AP, 3/5).
GIVE IT A REST: In Philadelphia, Bob Cooney notes this NBA season, "seemingly more than most others, has been riddled with injuries, especially to big-time players," including Bulls G Derrick Rose, Pelicans C Anthony Davis, Thunder F Kevin Durant and G Russell Westbrook, Clippers F Blake Griffin, Cavaliers F LeBron James and Bulls G Jimmy Butler. The "grueling schedule" could be one factor "why so many are missing so much time." One way the NBA "looked into giving players a longer rest" was extending the All-Star break. That seemed "like a great idea until you see that to do that, games were crammed together in the weeks leading up to then." 76ers coach Brett Brown said, "Fans want to see a product that plays at its best, and sometimes, with a frequency of games in relation to time off in between, I don't think you can achieve that" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 3/6).
