New b-ball league for 16-18 year-olds that will pay $100k plus.

This is a terrible idea. And when the vast majority wash out after a few years. At least they will be set for four or five years.  Devaluing education is always a great idea. How many college athletes think they are going to be one and done and then it not happen? Imagine a 16-year-old.

Wonder what Lavar Ball and his Big Baller League think about all of this. 

Think AAU basketball, AYSO soccer clubs, travel baseball programs, youth hockey and wrestling clubs and especially international football/soccer.  These “academy” programs train promising athletes in the style of the parent club.

The youth teams have the advantages of good coaches, equipment, training facilities and medical staff, but they’re not earning the equivalent of $100,000 a year and even at the U-18 and U-21 level, television exposure is rare.

In most cases in the United States, it’s based on a pay-to-play model and the majority of the young athletes never will earn as much as $100,000 a year for anything they do, unless their academic skills enable them to find a profession in which those earnings can be expected – or they excel in apprenticeships as plumbers or electricians. (There's an old joke about a lawyer and a plumber.)

My children (one of whom is a "Double Wolverine") participated in these types of programs when they were young soccer and baseball players. Like all of their youth team members, they “turned pro in something other than sports”.

My local high school has had some excellent baseball and basketball teams in recent years, thanks to using students who participate in club programs, but the team that usually gets the school’s highest honors is the robotics team.

Sounds a little like the occasionally, never-seriously sketched idea of a major junior basketball league. 

The model they use will make a big difference. $100k (I'd suspect that number may change and bifurcate to attract high end talent as well as less talented guys that are needed to fill rosters) per player won't set anyone up for life, but it's a big number. Are they looking for a small handful of teams in one location? Do they try to place teams in different cities within easy bussing distance? What sort of education is offered?

The question of money is serious, of course. There is, theoretically, a lot of shoe company money floating around. The AAU circuit seems to have no trouble attracting shoe dollars, and we have solid on-record evidence of shoe company money being used to attract guys to big name colleges. So maybe this is a halo/shoe company product, one that depends less on fans attending or watching than on sponsor attention and attracting high-ranking prospects.

That might be more sustainable than some other options, but it's less interesting for fans.

I have felt for some time that a major junior-style league that exists for players 16-19 or 20 as an alternative to the traditional educational route would be entertaining. A regional league of, say, 10-20 teams, finding mid-sized markets with basketball fans that can put 2-3000 people in gyms/arenas with an intimate atmosphere, a longer 40-50 game season, 5 or 7 game playoff series, specially tuned education options that gives players a real education tuned to areas they need while freeing up more time for training? That would be fun. But it might not make sense... or rather, it might not make cents.

I believe an alternative to the college route is probably sensible, and was sensible 20 years ago when it was clear that college was the best option to get to the NBA but not the best option academically for some kids. And I actually think that someone who is genuinely well-meaning (as opposed to just wanting to make some bucks off of kids who have basketball talent) could provide an alternative to the traditional educational route that actually provides a real education that genuinely prepares guys for life after basketball, whether that life starts at 22 or at 35. 

But money is a question here. College basketball makes quite a bit of money, but other enterprises simply do not draw the television dollars and do not have the backing of major universities. 

Pay'm 50 Gs, put it in a state where weed is legal and let them "smoke up, Jonnie".

The basketball will be turrible but entertaining as hell.

Complex Topic and good thread.  The very next post is an appreciation thread for the seniors who stuck it out, most of which are at the end of their basketball 'career' and who will be using their Michigan degree for the rest of their lives.  Giving 16 year old kids the opportunity to chase their dreams is worthwhile for the 2% of them that will be playing at the highest level, but I fear that the balance will be left as empty husks on the side of the road, without much education or prospects.  The NCAA is an exploitive operation for the fractional percentage that actually have real income power in their basketball skills, but at least offers a path forward for the vast majority of lesser skilled student athletes.  The song that keeps playing in my head when I read about this is "Won't get fooled again" 

High school basketball, even for top tier games, doesn't get many views on TV. I have trouble seeing this being a profitable venture

Seems like it could work to me. 30 players over a 3 year age range could be a pretty select group of high level players, the company already has a lot of experience in streaming content and a large number of followers on those streaming services.

No different than the junior / pro model from sports in other countries and those seem to work just fine. Just a cleaner version of the current US system with the AAU / scammy-academy type high schools.

As to the 'will people watch' angle, I mean if this league had games with players like Emoni Bates going up against 'Bronny', I absolutely think people would watch those and as mentioned a lot of these kids already have social media followings.

If a kid has a skill or trade when they are in high school, they're able to capitalize it. Basketball players can't because there's little avenue for them to do so and if they do, they are ruled ineligible for the (current) best route to the NBA. I'm all for alternatives to the "amateur" NCAA. Wish football had alternatives to college football as well. 

Let me just state that this OP is how an OP should be formatted.  It contains a simple description that succinctly explains the premise of what's being done.  But it doesn't spill out the gory details - lets the link do the heavy lifting.  Not everyone can just go off and read some news article, or watch some internet video, at any time night or day.  So the summary is quite useful and helps determine whether the story piques enough interest to go search the details.

Take note, MGoUser 'viewfromalbany' - your "Head injury protection" thread has no traction because it's just a title and a link.  It generated no interest...

I just find it a little sad that we have 16-18 year olds worrying about their “brand”. This is sort of what we heard about Josh Cristopher, in reality there are only a handful of guys that actually have a “brand”. 

After reading the article, I have my doubts that this league will be good for the players in the long term.  Everything about it, said from anyone involved, is about league success and personal 'brand' marketing.  It seems that lip service only was paid to actual education.  Will these minors get the high school education required by law?  I have to suspect so, but it'll be interesting to see the infrastructure planning to sustain such a league.

Based on the type of content that Overdrive provides (FB, Youtube, Instagram) I can't see their audience tuning in for a two hour game.  I wonder if the marketing plan has the kids playing full games, while only highlights get broadcast?  Makes me wonder what the actual marketing plan is...

(Notes on the education aspects - I know that a lot of kids get a substandard education from the public system, and that a lot of college scholarship players have tutors doing much of the work.  But I will continue to wonder what plans this league will have to take care of children outside of basketball.)

I guess the question is, can you really identify can't-miss NBA 1st rounders at age 16?  If so, then these kids will play in this league for a few years and go to the pros, who cares?

But for kids who don't end up in the NBA, will they even have a high-school diploma?   They will be discarded onto a trash heap and be in a really bad situation unless they have saved most of their salary, which is highly doubtful.  

Going to be tough to compete with college ball

Edit: obviously they wouldn’t be in college yet but viewership would compete with NCAA basketball not to mention NBA

On the surface this sounds like the worst plan ever for these kids.  What happens when they flame out or have a career ending injury and don't even have a high school degree? In addition to zero opportunity for a college scholarship because they played professionally.....

I am very interested in seeing if any of these semi pro leagues can make money.  I cannot think of a single semi pro league without the backing of a pro league which has been successful.  The best has been arena football and they did not pay close to 100K average salary.  This is great for the kids but I doubt investor make any money.

A major junior development league for basketball would address a clear gap in the market.  There are similar models in Europe for basketball and soccer, and in North America for baseball and hockey.  This isn't really breaking new ground. 

Moving the money from under the table to the talent seems directionally correct.  There is the predictable "concern" from entities at risk of their model being challenged, but isn't that just a fight over a piece of the pie?  This seems like a positive additional route for those kids who want to develop their skills.  As others have pointed out, there is the risk of exploitation--but that isn't anything new that this model uniquely generates.

From a spectator perspective, if I want to see a high school game I can visit one of several gyms in my area.  The prospect of watching rail thin young men who have forfeited their opportunity at college basketball really doesn't interest me.

Look how undeveloped the body on most freshman is.  The vast majority need a year in the weightroom to compete.  Or the kids that grow 6" their freshman year of college in a proper nutrition & exercise program.

A 16 year old making that choice for short-term $ just doesn't sit well with me.  Now that NCAA is doing NIL I see no sense in picking green apples.

We're not the audience here. It's not what we think of as a traditional professional sports league. Think of it more like a reality television show like the ones that fuel MMA.

The interesting stuff here: they're starting with 30 kids, they're creating a high school (like Emoni's dad, only there's more organization behind it), the games are material to cut up and use along with the high school and maybe even a bubble environment they live in.

The audience is very young, and advertisers like that. Their farm system is travel/AAU, and they don't have to pay anything for it. If a kid isn't working out, they replace him and can make it part of the story, just like one of those Love Island or Bachelor shows.

They're not even tied to a schedule - they could do this year-round and probably should. And, soon enough, one of these kids gets drafted and that gives it a legitimacy bump just like whenever the MMA picks up a new fighter. Add in visits from current NBAers, tie in some coaching...

I think this is a fantastic idea. We just have to accept that college basketball does not play the same role it used to play.

I've always felt most people care much more about their school/team than about individual players. I know I do.

I love Charles Woodson, but if he didn't go to Michigan I wouldn't care about him one way or the other.  Same goes with pros. I like Kevin Durant, but hope the Warriors beat the Nets, and I care much more about Steph and Klay.

This may be changing - Kobe and LeBron became iconic, fabulously successful and famous without ever going to college. Jordan became bigger than UNC or even the Bulls. With player movement, younger fans might care more about individuals than teams.

I still find it hard to believe there's big money in minor league basketball. I imagine the G League has a tiny fraction of the interest of college hoops. Seems to me the potential for this new league is pretty limited too. 

Times are changing - maybe I just don't have the vision.

I'd be interested to review the contract they would have to sign.  By agreeing to participate, might they agree to forego a percentage of future earnings (both as an NBA player and endorsements)? Or might an 'agency' relationship form between the players and Overtime in some capacity when they do go for NBA contracts?  

16 to 18 year old kids making $100,000....that's going to be interesting.....

Hard for die-hard college sports fans to imagine alternatives for the young men at the heart of these cash cows. But, the model of Colleges as basically farm systems to the pro's does not exist anywhere else in the world. So, elite HS sports players in other parts of the world play in basically non University related farm systems much like baseball in the U.S. It has its flaws but it isn't based on a ridiculous 'student-athlete' (hahahaha) model where the players often pretend to be students (imagine if you enter a school like Duke, NC, Michigan, Virginia..etc. with reputable educational standards as a 'one and done'...are you REALLY going to take the classroom seriously? Honestly?) . So its a lie and everyone knows it, but everyone, fans included go along with it. Its only once there are viable alternatives and the status quo gets tested that maybe the 'system' will look inward and make long overdue changes. 

Yeah, that's not going to last very long.