Brandon Jennings was selected 10th overall last night in the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. This selection could change the entire process for entrance into the NBA.
If you aren't familiar with Jennings, he scrapped his plans to go to college (first he said USC, then Arizona) and decided to head to Europe. Recent NBA rules have made it so that you can't enter the draft immediately after high school. Most of the elite talent in high school basketball plays for a year at a college and then enters the NBA draft.
Well, Jennings had a different idea. He went and signed with an Italian league team and rolled the dice on doing things the non-traditinonal way. Well, that way worked and you have to think that there are tons of high school players that are thinking that they don't have to go to college and that it won't hurt their NBA dreams.
Jennings got $1.65 million to play for Lottomatica Roma and another $2 million as an endorsement from Under Armour. So while other kids were studying (or supposed to be) and working on their game to get ready for the NBA, Jennings was concentrating on basketball full time while getting paid handsomely.
Hmmmm….tough decision. But I give him credit it because it all could have blown up in his face. What if he was drafted in the second round? That wouldn't have changed conventional wisdom. But he didn't. He went #10. He proved that this is a viable option for high school kids.
Some will argue, "well you need to get your education." One year of college entry-level courses that you may or may not attend is getting your education? He has his whole life to get his college degree. He only has X amount of years to play sports and earn money.
So if you are an elite player at the high school level, which path do you choose?
