Lavar Ball and the Junior Basketball Association

[GIMMFD]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet, but what do you guys think will happen? Think it will gain enough leverage? Would probably require a few financial backers, but the thought of getting paid for a year has to be enticing to 17-18 year olds, wonder how the NBA will feel about this.. and wonder what it would mean for college basketball as a whole, no way the NCAA would let this happen right?

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/21827823/lavar-ball-wants-start-league-high-school-graduates

(For those that want to skip the article, basically as a result of the UCLA situation, Lavar Ball wants to create a league for ranked high school recruits where they get around $10,000 a year to showcase their skills against each other, prepping them for the draft without having to sign to a university, basically only 80 players spread amongst 10 teams.)

[XMuskieFTW]

I think it's a genius idea. Everyone is going to rip on it because it's Lavar, but I think if it's done right, it could be successful. Also it's $10,000 a month for the top players. Play in college for free when a third of your games are going to be against the Wagners of D1, or play in this league for 5 months for $20,000-$50,000 and play top talent every game?

If The Basketball Tournament has enough traction that it can pay out a million to the winners, I think this is definitely doable.

[Muskie]

I think it's a genius idea. Everyone is going to rip on it because it's Lavar, but I think if it's done right, it could be successful. Also it's $10,000 a month for the top players. Play in college for free when a third of your games are going to be against the Wagners of D1, or play in this league for 5 months for $20,000-$50,000 and play top talent every game?

If The Basketball Tournament has enough traction that it can pay out a million to the winners, I think this is definitely doable.

If this league gets the top talent. That's the big If.

[Muskie]

I wonder if this will sell enough tickets to be viable?

[XMuskieFTW]

If this league gets the top talent. That's the big If.

I'm sure this would also draw potential G league players who can probably make more per month than they can in the G league. I know he says he just wants high school talent, but I'm sure it would end up being more than just that.

[xeus]

What happens to those 80 kids at the end of one year? Maybe 4 of them have a shot at the NBA draft, and the rest go play in the Europe or the G League? I don't see this as a value-added proposition for the vast majority of kids.

[Juice]

There is no way this league works. No one goes to G League games as it is and that league at least has recognizable names from college basketball. How many top high school players will actually play in this? 3? 5? Not enough to keep fans interested. And who is going to back this in the beginning? Because it's not going to be turning a profit without big sponsors, big ticket sales, and some type of TV deal.

Think of every stupid minor league basketball team in Cincinnati that pops up and is gone in a year.

And remember when Lavar said that they were going to create their own shoe? Yeah it's still a BBB shoe, but they had to give up design control and therefore money to people from Brand Black because Lavar is too stupid to realize that it costs $10K for the mold of a shoe's sole and midsole. And that's not $10K flat, it's $10K per shoe size so 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, etc. Compare the BBB shoe to the Brand Black Rare Metal. It's the same damn shoe except it costs $500 and not $100.

The man is a good "marketer" I guess but usually he just talks shit and actually has no idea what he's talking about or what shit he's getting himself into.

[bleedXblue]

You get great exposure at the college level (Top 20 schools), structure (that's really needed for an 18 year old kid), all expenses paid etc etc.

In return for this all you really have to do is go to school for 1 semester. I don't really see the "pain" that this new league would alleviate.

[UCGRAD4X]

It is an intriguing idea and my biggest question was Xeus's - then what? and Muskies, who are these players going to be? How will they be selected?

I think it is more than a cliche that far too many of these kids out of HS think they are going to the NBA. Are their coaches telling them they don't have a shot? Or are they just pumping them full of how great they are?

I can see a lot of kids being attracted to this so will there be tryouts - and who gets to make the evaluation? Mr. Ball? Or will Mr. Ball just hand pick who he wants without any tryouts?

What would the tryouts do to their NCAA eligibility?

I'm not a big fan of the NBA, casual interest at best, mostly interested in how X players are doing, which of late....

So, I almost always look at basketball issues in terms of how it will affect X.

My thought is, from "not much at all" since these would be largely players X doesn't recruit anyway - to - will the players X recruits then be pursued by the blue-bloods since many of the "one and doners" they usually recruit are going to this league?

Once again it really boils down to, "Who are the players that this league will attract" and "what happens then, not only to the players that make it, but the players who even try-out) (if this is the process, which I assume would be the case...or maybe not)?

[GIMMFD]

You know, another point that hasn't been brought up though, wouldn't it be more beneficial for a kid learning under the tutulage of a coach like Coach K, Tom Izzo, Cal, who have a track record of getting their guys in the NBA, opposed to whoever these coaches will be? It seems silly to assume that these JBA coaches will be as well paid as the coaches at a top D1 program, and maybe they'll be assistants from NBA teams that they hand pick, but I think it's an interesting topic of interest as well.

[Cheesehead]

Can't stand this guy but besides that, I do not see it as being viable. This cannot be a hobby for investors, it has to make money and the only way to do that is through sponsorship, tickets/concession, and TV revenue.

I do not see all these things happening.

[Blue Blooded-05]

If all of X & UC’s players quit tomorrow, formed their own for-profit teams named the Norwood Swords & the Clifton Bears and then scheduled a game at a neutral site with tickets going for over $100 a piece, do you really think they’d even come close to selling out? I’d bet everything I have on no.

The reason college sports sell out is not because of the product on the floor/field. It sells out is because of the name on the front of the jersey. Said another way: The moment a high school senior signs with X, I instantly have something in common with him.

No way anyone plops down their hard earned money to watch the 3rd best pro basketball league featuring players you’ve never heard of from cities you’ve never been to. Even if all the best 18-22 year olds are playing in the league it will still be outdrawn by college basketball being played with walk-on level talent.

[Muskie]

If all of X & UC’s players quit tomorrow, formed their own for-profit teams named the Norwood Swords & the Clifton Bears and then scheduled a game at a neutral site with tickets going for over $100 a piece, do you really think they’d even come close to selling out? I’d bet everything I have on no.

The reason college sports sell out is not because of the product on the floor/field. It sells out is because of the name on the front of the jersey. Said another way: The moment a high school senior signs with X, I instantly have something in common with him.

No way anyone plops down their hard earned money to watch the 3rd best pro basketball league featuring players you’ve never heard of from cities you’ve never been to. Even if all the best 18-22 year olds are playing in the league it will still be outdrawn by college basketball being played with walk-on level talent.

I mean there are certainly some who follow recruiting and HS basketball (or football for that matter), but that's usually in relation to a college or NBA team. I occasionally go to the summer league games in Indy to see Justin Cage play. However, he and I have a connection. I wouldn't necessarily go watch two teams of players I wasn't interested in seeing. If I did, I can't imagine I'd go more than once or twice. Certainly not in a season type package.

[xu82]

By the “UCLA situation”, do you mean his son being a thief? And a stupid thief at that for doing it in a foreign country? I can get past the kid’s mistakes far easier than I can come to terms with the idiot father.

[usfldan]

This is one of my "If I had a billion dollars" idea. I don't know that $10,000 is enough, though. I was thinking more along the lines of $100,000 for maybe 10 of the top 20 recruits, the rest could play for smaller change. If you steal the half of the top recruits, I think you'd get some buzz for your league. I think $100,000 is enough for them to skip college to play in a league designed to prepare them for the next level.

I'd have only 5 or 6 teams in a specific geographical area too, not spread around the country. Either somewhere glamourous like LA or in the middle of nowhere like North Dakota. Beyond the recruits you have G-League level guys/guys who did not get drafted- I have a feeling there are enough around. There would be an age limit, like 24, with maybe an exemption for one older vet per team who can teach the young guys about life in the league.

Obviously, I think a league like this is possible. I don't think it will work if the motivation is for one guy to get attention for himself and his kids.


Of course, this would all be after this:
https://youtu.be/4lmW2tZP2kU

[xu82]

This is one of my "If I had a billion dollars" idea. I don't know that $10,000 is enough, though. I was thinking more along the lines of $100,000 for maybe 10 of the top 20 recruits, the rest could play for smaller change. If you steal the half of the top recruits, I think you'd get some buzz for your league. I think $100,000 is enough for them to skip college to play in a league designed to prepare them for the next level.

I'd have only 5 or 6 teams in a specific geographical area too, not spread around the country. Either somewhere glamourous like LA or in the middle of nowhere like North Dakota. Beyond the recruits you have G-League level guys/guys who did not get drafted- I have a feeling there are enough around. There would be an age limit, like 24, with maybe an exemption for one older vet per team who can teach the young guys about life in the league.

Obviously, I think a league like this is possible. I don't think it will work if the motivation is for one guy to get attention for himself and his kids.


Of course, this would all be after this:
https://youtu.be/4lmW2tZP2kU

Where does that money come from? I’m thinking gyms that look like decent high school games. They make money if they have decent hot dogs. (I actually know the good gyms, and miss them!)