NBA G-League Threatening College Basketball or Enhancing It?
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The NBA G-League may one day offer high school standouts a quicker path to the pros. But Michigan State’s Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo says the college path will always be the best path to a life in basketball—and beyond.
“They (G-League) are going to end up paying more money so they can get more guys to bite,” Izzo said. “It is going to affect us, but the kids certainly more. Let’s face it, not all kids are NBA kids, but they will jump and make bad choices, and then what do they have?”
The consensus around basketball feels the NBA is going to remove its so-called “one-and-done” rule after the 2021 season. That would pave the way for Ypsilanti, Mich., recruit Emoni Bates, a target of Izzo and Michigan State, to go straight to the NBA.
In doing so, Bates would travel the same trajectory as LeBron James.
Many basketball insiders believe Bates is the best prospect since James.
Bates has told me in the past that he loves Michigan State and Coach Izzo.
With the potential of removing the one-and-done rule on the horizon, why is the NBA G-League rising to prominence? Why is this happening now?
One NBA head coach, not authorized to speak by his team or league, told Spartan Nation, “I love the G-League. It is a fantastic opportunity to get guys great coaching and develop them, but also to develop coaches. To get guys a year in our system to learn how we do things.”
But for the biggest of the college basketball programs, this is direct competition for the players they live and die needing as the lifeblood of their program each new season.
Take, for example, Keon Brooks, a prospect out of Indiana Izzo started recruiting in seventh grade.
I documented the MSU recruitment of Brooks for many years at Spartan Nation. In the end, Izzo lost Brooks to Kentucky.
What if the G-League had been an option? Would it have opened another avenue for Izzo and John Calipari at Kentucky to contend with?
Izzo doesn’t see the G-League as fondly as the NBA.
“The problem is not one person has a clue, “Izzo said. “This year kids might get $300,000-$500,000, and they only got a handful of guys to take it.
"All of this is going to make us (the more prominent programs) not recruit high school kids and just look at transfers if it grows.
“We can recruit a kid for as long as we want. He could probably even sign in November. But before he steps on campus, take the G-League money and go. We will have to take a long hard look at how we do things.”
But the unnamed NBA coach sees things differently. He thinks guys skipping school and going to Europe is a growing threat, and that the NBA G-League merely is addressing that.
“Tell me why a guy would go to Europe with all of the uncertainty for $300,000 when he could stay home in America for let’s say $200,000, but be constantly coached by NBA people and playing against NBA talent?” he said. “There (Europe) you hope to get seen, in the G-League you are seen by the NBA every day.”
The coach went on to add, “Think about two-way guys and roster guys? They have a place to go to get better with a return to play protocol after injury or just struggling. If you miss more than two weeks in our league, it is hard to get in the flow of the league. We can’t practice enough to get you back. The G-League allows you to have great care during injury rehab, and don’t forget the level of player is much higher in the G-League. These are good players.”
But while $500K is certainly a lot of money, many young people don’t think about taxes and have the economic understanding to make it last. While a small percentage will succeed and gain stardom, what about the overwhelming majority who don’t—now stuck with very little money and no shot at a free education? Will the NBA guarantee college scholarships to all G-League players who turn from the collegiate path out of high school?
Says Izzo of that scenario, “BCS schools are a lot better option than the G-League.”
