What if LeBron James Went to Morehouse?
"Admittedly, making the sale is hard. You’d have to forego an opportunity to play on national TV with a top program that gives you visibility for the next level. However, out of the two revenue generating sports, basketball would be the easier sell. Gone are the days, when Moses Malone, KG, LeBron and Kobe went straight to the league from high school to make an immediate impact. For every KG there’s an Eddie Curry or Kwame Brown who busted.
To circumvent this, the NBA instituted a rule that made players ineligible to apply for the draft until one year after completing high school. They are required to go to college or overseas to play for a year before they’re draft eligible. The NBA gets a free year of evaluation and development. The colleges that get these one-and-done players get the recognition and increased enrollment that comes from having a successful program.
Most school athletic programs operate at a loss. The major football and blue-blood basketball programs have revenues that exceed expenses, but it is not the norm. Schools invest in athletics because it brings awareness to high school students, who then want to apply and enroll in their university. It is entertaining advertising.
So back to the initial question, what if LeBron James had played for Morehouse? What if Candace Parker enrolled at Fisk instead of Tennessee? What if Kevin Durant attended Prairie View A &M instead of Texas?"
Imagine if Ben Simmons went to Southern
"Admittedly, making the sale is hard. You’d have to forego an opportunity to play on national TV with a top program that gives you visibility for the next level. However, out of the two revenue generating sports, basketball would be the easier sell. Gone are the days, when Moses Malone, KG, LeBron and Kobe went straight to the league from high school to make an immediate impact. For every KG there’s an Eddie Curry or Kwame Brown who busted.
To circumvent this, the NBA instituted a rule that made players ineligible to apply for the draft until one year after completing high school. They are required to go to college or overseas to play for a year before they’re draft eligible. The NBA gets a free year of evaluation and development. The colleges that get these one-and-done players get the recognition and increased enrollment that comes from having a successful program.
Most school athletic programs operate at a loss. The major football and blue-blood basketball programs have revenues that exceed expenses, but it is not the norm. Schools invest in athletics because it brings awareness to high school students, who then want to apply and enroll in their university. It is entertaining advertising.
So back to the initial question, what if LeBron James had played for Morehouse? What if Candace Parker enrolled at Fisk instead of Tennessee? What if Kevin Durant attended Prairie View A &M instead of Texas?"
Imagine if Ben Simmons went to Southern
