Should players be allowed to enter the NBA straight from high school?

Before the NBA would allow high school kids to enter the NBA right away. However, since 2006 the drafting of high school players has been prohibited by the collective bargaining agreement that only allows players that are at least 19 years of age and at least one year removed from high school to enter the draft. There has been a lot of controversy over this topic. Some players have been very successful coming straight out of high school but other players have also been very unsuccessful. Some successful players are Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. One notable unsuccessful player is Kwame Brown. I understand the players should gain some more experience before entering the league such as attending college or university, or playing overseas. However, I still feel and believe that high school players deserve the opportunity and chance to enter the  league right away. Many of the players went through some hard times growing up so I feel like these players should be given the opportunity to use their talents to earn money for their family. It is fair because playing in the NBA is a job and many people go straight from high school into the workforce. Also, many of these players have probably dreamed to play in the NBA but their dream is either prolonged or completely gone because of those years after high school. Some players get injured and other players' draft stock lower after entering college basketball. If they were allowed to enter straight from high school, more young talent would be in the league which could totally alter their careers because they would be able to learn from the best players in the world. I think player should be allowed to enter the NBA straight from high school because very few are given this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Are Season Tickets Worth It?

Are season tickets actually worth their cost? Personally, I feel like season tickets are definitely worth the money people pay for them and if I had the money I would love to buy some season tickets. There are many reasons why season tickets are worth it. Season tickets are not just a way to watch all 82 games of the season but they are an amazing investment. You  are in control of tickets and you get to decide what to do with them. Season tickets are worth less than buying a ticket for each each game so if you are not able to go to the game or you just do not want to watch a certain game, you can sell the tickets for retail value. You can actually earn money if you do not want to watch any games as long as you sell a ticket for every game. However, most people would probably only go to the games they have been dying to watch and sell the tickets of the games that they are not as interested in. Also, season ticket holders are given many privileges and benefits. Season ticket holders are given the priority of playoff tickets, able to upgrade your seat during certain games, receive complementary merchandise, pre-paid parking and you are given exclusive meetings with the players. All in all, I think season tickets are an amazing investment and if you have the opportunity you should take full advantage and buy them.

Old Generation vs. New Generation

This has been a great debate in the NBA for a long time, which generation of players are better. The
old generation claims they're better while the new generation claims they're better. Now this can never truly be answered factually but it is fun to hear and state opinions on the topic. I am part of the new generation and I've been able to watch how much this game has evolved but I am not necessarily saying that this new generation is better. Many rules  have been added, altered and changed throughout the years since the 80's-90's. There are many differences between basketball today and before. One major difference is the physicality of the game. Before, the court would not have a 3-point line and the addition of this 3-point line has given birth to an evolved form of basketball. Many players today prefer to play off of the perimeter rather than on the inside as players would in the past because there was no 3-point line. Many of the former players have noticed and criticized how the NBA is "soft" today because the league has added many rules which has limited the players from playing their game. Today, they call many more flagrant fouls than they did before. Flagrant fouls are fouls that are considered unnecessary contact. The fouls today that are consider flagrant fouls were considered just regular fouls back in the day. Players would get into fight more regularly before but now the league has added fines to regulate the amount of fights that occur in the league. Also, today the superstars of the league do not want to compete, when they are given the opportunity they choose to move to another team with superstars to make that team stacked. Before, all of the superstars would be on different teams so they could compete for the title and earn it. Another way the lack of competition is shown in our league today is how everyone is friends with each other. This is not exactly a bad thing but it makes the league more boring because they do play as hard. Before, none of the players were really friends, most players had rivals and you could even go as far to say that there was a bit of hatred. This made the games more exciting to watch because they would go at it, they did not give up till the buzzer went off and the game was finally over. In conclusion, I think the old generation was better than our new generation. Now I was not able to witness the old generation first hand but I have watched and studied the game clips of the past. The old generation paved the path for our players today, the reason we have such great players today is because they wanted to imitate the players of the past.

Underrated Players in the NBA

There are many players in the league who are unappreciated because other players may stand out more. This topic has always given me a bit of a bittersweet taste in my mouth. However, these underrated players deserve some sort of recognition at the very least because it really bothers me that these players with such amazing talent are not given the credit they are due. Do not get me wrong, I like underdogs because I like players that have a chip on their shoulder. I feel like this drives them even more to prove all of the disbelievers and haters wrong, show them how good they really are. Although, I do not like how these players are being disrespected and not being given the things they have worked so hard to earn. My favourite basketball player in the league right now is Damian Lillard. I feel like he is one of the best point guards in the league today but he is not given the opportunities and chances as the other star point guards. For the last two all star games, he was not chosen as an all star in either of these games. This got me really upset because the last two seasons have been his best seasons in the league. His former all-star teammate left the team two years ago and Damian was expected to step up. That is exactly what he did, he brought his game to a new level. In the 2014-2015 season he averaged 21 points per game and about 6 assist per game. In the 2015-2016 season he average about 25 points per game and about 7 assists per games. In the 206-2017 season he average about 27 points per game. As each year went on, he increased his points per game and increased his level of play. He led his team to the playoffs for the past two year with a roster that had their starting lineup changed entirely. The only player that stayed from the 2013-2014 starting lineup that is still there today is Damian Lillard. They have had so many roster changes in the past few years but Damian has still been able to lead his team to the playoffs. His loyalty to his team is something I respect. Also, there have been countless times where his team needed a bucket in the last few seconds and he did what he to do to win the game. He's made numerous game-winning shots. His ability to make a clutch play in crunch time is something I commend him for.

Who's the Greatest of All-time?

Lately, many people have been wondering who the greatest basketball of player of all-time is and the two candidates are Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Now, I feel like this is great debate but there is one important candidate missing, Kobe Bryant. Kobe and Michael have both accomplished so much in their respective careers. Lebron has also accomplished  so much in his career but since he is still currently playing, he still has much left that he can accomplish. Now I must pay respect to all of these legends because they have all made such an impact on the game of basketball. Michael is the only one of them currently in the basketball hall of fame but the Kobe will soon enter and Lebron is sure to follow once he retires. All of them had a few similarities but the main similarity is their dominance of the game. Every player felt their presence on the court, they knew how to difficult it would be to guard each of them. Kobe was able to play against both of these player but Lebron and Michael were never able to play against each other. Both Kobe and Michael have won three consecutive titles at least once in their career while Lebron has only been able to accomplish back-to-back titles once in his career. As I stated earlier, all three of them were able to change the game but each of them did it their own way which is what's special about each of their games. They were all very athletic and had tremendous jumping ability but Michael was the one who set the tone for the other two. Kobe and Lebron have both stated how Michael influenced their game a lot. Kobe is the most skilled player out of the three, his footwork was impeccable, his jump shot could not be stopped, he could find the smallest gaps to get to the basket and he had an unreal work ethic. Lebron is the most all-around player because he just makes all of his teammates around him better, he is unselfish and shares the ball with his teammates. Michael is the most clutch player, if I had to choose anyone to take the lost shot to win the game, I would choose Michael. Time and time again he would come through when you needed him the most. In those last few seconds of the game and the score would be tied or your team is down by two points or less, Michael is the person I would trust with the ball. He will either make the game winning play which is usually a shot he takes but he is also able to find an open teammate. If I were to choose the greatest of all-time I think I would have to choose Michael Jordan. There are many reason why I would choose him, he was able to average thirty points a game for his entire career which is insanely difficult. Also, unlike the other two every time he reached the NBA Finals, he made sure to get the job done and win the championship. To top it all off, his competitive nature was inhumane according to many sources. He hated to lose which is something I can relate to and he was able to ensure his team victory in the NBA Finals because of his competitive nature.