NBA and high schools players

[Pakuni]

Who knows, but the point is, he had an opportunity to get a FREE college education.  Whether or not he uses it to his full advantage or would have taken anything away from it to help himself sans nba career would be a different story

The million dollar question is how many of these guys chase the pro dream over the education and walk away with neither...now what

Baseball players, hockey players, soccer players, tennis players, golfers and athletes in other sports make these business decisions all the time, and nobody frets about it. Some succeed. Some don't.
Why do basketball players need to be treated differently?

[Jay Bee]

Baseball players, hockey players, soccer players, tennis players, golfers and athletes in other sports make these business decisions all the time, and nobody frets about it. Some succeed. Some don't.
Why do basketball players need to be treated differently?

They aren’t. They are free to go pro immediately.

[MU82]

Baseball players, hockey players, soccer players, tennis players, golfers and athletes in other sports make these business decisions all the time, and nobody frets about it. Some succeed. Some don't.
Why do basketball players need to be treated differently?

Excellent post, and right on. This was another of the many great points made by Van Gundy, who has been a close observer of this situation from all sides.

[MUBurrow]

I don't recall many jobs that say "some college required."

Either way, its not an argument that really needs to be responded to. The teams are the employers, not the NBA or the union. While the CBA between the league and the union set the rule, the employers themselves obviously didn't think some college is required.  At least one (and usually more) high school players were selected in the lottery alone from 1999-2005 (one and done was introduced in 2006).  That's to say nothing of the players selected later in the first round or in the second round.

[Pakuni]

They aren’t. They are free to go pro immediately.

They are treated differently because there are barriers to entry at certain workplaces (i.e. NBA teams), excluding them of an opportunity available to similarly skilled employees. Such barriers don't exist in the NHL, MLB, the PGA, the WTA, etc.
This isn't even a point worth arguing. Not even the NBA makes this argument.

[Jay Bee]

They are treated differently because there are barriers to entry at certain workplaces (i.e. NBA teams), excluding them of an opportunity available to similarly skilled employees. Such barriers don't exist in the NHL, MLB, the PGA, the WTA, etc.
This isn't even a point worth arguing. Not even the NBA makes this argument.

Your comment I was replying to was with regard to the ability of becoming pro or not. They can go pro and get paid if they're good enough. You're perhaps mad at one organization (NBA), but they can still go pro.