In conjunction with player agents, the National Basketball Players Association will send a letter to the NCAA refusing to accept a certification process, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The proposal applies to agents dealing with college players who are “testing the waters” to determine if they should remain in the NBA Draft.
The players union has been in communication with NCAA officials in an attempt to work together on the matter, Wojnarowski adds. NBPA executive director Michele Roberts refused to comment.
ESPN has a copy of the letter, which alleges that the NCAA is attempting to “garner access to personal and private information of certified agents in what amounts to subpoena power to embark on investigations that are wholly unrelated to protecting the interests of men’s basketball student-athletes in deciding whether to remain in school or to enter the NBA Draft.”
College players who declare their intentions to enter the draft have several weeks to consider that decision while going through the combine and team workouts. The NCAA wants to register agents who would be speaking to the players during that time, even though they’re already subject to oversight from the NBPA and state regulatory organizations. The NCAA originally sought a requirement that prospective agents own at least a bachelor’s degree — dubbed the “Rich Paul Rule” because he doesn’t have one — but later relented.
“While we refuse to subject ourselves to these regulations, our biggest concern is that the process itself undermines the ability of student-athletes to truly receive the most competent representation when they are testing the waters,” the agents wrote. “By continuing to legislate in a manner that ignores the realities of the world that student-athletes with professional prospects live in, the NCAA is only entrenching an ecosystem that cultivates and fosters an atmosphere of distrust among the student-athletes whom the NCAA is supposed to protect, thus pushing these kids out of school far before they are ready.”
NBA afraid the NCAA will uncover even more payments made to some of their top stars?
It’s the other way around
Man when is the NCAA gonna stop messing with kids & things that don’t belong to them. NCAA must be the most corrupt & useless organization in the world, they love to exploit kids as a cash cow & don’t give them a penny, that is called slavery in my book.
Please stop using the term slavery in this. It’s a completely ignorant statement. They are getting paid with college tuition. In some schools that is worth 70-80,000 a year. Also if they don’t make the nba they have an education and experience that can lead them to make much more money in the future. It also opens up avenues in the sports arena that are not open to everyone.
Yes it’s not enough and yes the league is exploiting them for their own profits but calling it slavery is wholly inaccurate and takes away from the debate instead of adding to it.
I firmly believe that the programs that are making millions should be looking at paying athletes or at least allow them to make money other places based on their popularity. Keep in mind however that 90% of the other schools will have to either drop their programs or still won’t be able to pay anyone because the smaller schools are already losing money.
The agents expoit too, and they are showing less professional standards than ever (like w/ Nic Claxton).
This is about “testing the waters” players who are trying to stay in the NCAA– that is very much in the NCAA zone.
Until a player signs an agent, it’s the NBPA that lacks standing with him.