Former NBA Player Bob Bigelow Thinks Jr. NBA World Championship
Last month, the NBA proclaimed the launch of the Junior. NBA World-wide Patronage, a new youth basketball tournament that, away the sound of IT, appears to be the NBA's answer to the Little League World Series. The tournament, which will embody played in August, was met with ecumenical ebullience from the public but some have expressed skepticism about the Junior. NBA World Championship organism as successful as the league believes it will comprise. One of those doubters is former NBA player Bob Bigelow, who has washed-out more than 30 years advocating for youth sports. Bigelow understands the appeal of the Jr. NBA World Championship only, as explained toFatherly, atomic number 2 thinks the tournament testament personify more about money than fun and sportsmanship.
What was your initial reaction when you first heard about the Jr. NBA World Championship?
A friend of mine set down me in touch with the Washington Post and up thereto point, I had not read a thing about it or heard anything about it. The quotation from that clause was my initial reaction. I had my most cynical and sanctimonious response. The first thing that came to my channelize was just, "Why?" I understand business and I realise the NBA. I recognize that August is the downtime for the league and they want to have as little of an offseason as possible. They are already a story 11 months of the yr and this is their way to keep their name in the headlines for all 12 months.
But the cynical side of Maine wonders how long it will really atomic number 4 for meet 14-twelvemonth-olds. Right now, it's just a 14-year-noncurrent tournament but it feels inevitable that they will pass younger. When is information technology going to go to 13? When going to go to 12? Or 11? It's the natural order of things in youth sports. The Slender League World Series goes down to 12-twelvemonth-olds so I dubiety the NBA will be able to protest lowering the age. You can't stop the adults once they agnize they can get younger kids to play too.
Is at that place an underlying issue with parents trying to get their kids into competitive sports from a young age?
Parents think kids can nonplus better away starting earlier which is one and only of the biggest misconceptions in youth sports. It's the Panthera tigris Woods syndrome. The minute he won the Masters in 1997, parents were suddenly convinced they could turn their kid into a prognostic by having them play a rollick as presently as they can walk. Because everyone saw him swinging a golf club when he was three years old. So people start believing you desire your child to be the best they fundament, they punter start young.
Of flow from, at that place's a lot of evidence against that directly contradicts that notion but parents testament assume they know best. People will have their septenar-year-olds playing in competitive leagues when they should sporty let them have amusive. I am a former first-round NBA draft pick and I didn't act basketball until I was 14. Non playing hoops at age 12 obviously devastated my career. Masses think development in sports starts much sooner than IT comes. It comes advanced. Your average sevener-year-old is 4'2" and weighs 54 pounds. How bum we atomic number 4 expected to tell how good that kid wish atomic number 4?
Are you concerned the league will prioritize its needs over the inevitably of the kids?
Whenever big million or jillio-dollar corporations start putting nipper's stuff unneurotic, you should get a little nervous. Because disregarding what the original intent was, if at that place is that much money at stake, the needs of the adults will e'er come before the needs of the kids. Just the way information technology goes. The NBA and the USA basketball deliver been talk about doing something like this for years because they want to essay to take away youthfulness basketball from AAU. There are some dear AAU people out there just in that location are charlatans as healthy. And believe me, this event bequeath attract its fair share of charlatans. Good luck hard to keep them out.
Theoretically, you're leaving to be introducing the kids to Mickey Mouse at Disneyworld and Disney is well-chosen to sponsor the event, of course. Because it's bringing a lot of kids to the parks and is enthusiastic publicity. A kid from Slovenija playing against a kid from France in Orlando sounds good sufficient. But if there are adults and money involved, ulterior motives are leaving to chop-chop emerge. Parents may try to get in bed with the NBA and shop their kid as "The Next Pregnant One" or whatever.
Do you consider the tourney is doomed to fail?
From a superficial standpoint, this tournament looks fine. The NBA is stressful to tie in with youth sports and do right by IT. The construct itself is pure but the devil is in the details. And it could get messy very meteoric.
I'm not throwing out the entire melodic theme but the NBA is going to face two big challenges putt this tournament together. Number one: How do you keep it mostly pure? Make sure all the kids are the right age and are actually from where they are supposed to to be from. Identification number two: Continue focused along the fun. Don't let money and ambition puzzle over in the way of rental the kids enjoy themselves. Because if done right, this could be an impressive experience for kids from all around the world. It needs to be a fun youth tournament. Nothing more.
And what behind they do to assure the tournament overcomes these challenges?
I accept no more melodic theme. IT's so hard to monitor. You can cover the years affair comparatively well but look at Little League, where kids are being moved all ended the seat to get to join certain teams.
Coiffure you think other leagues would assay tournaments look-alike this? Maybe the NFL?
The NFL wouldn't try something like this. Youth football and the NFL would ingest a mess on their hands if they proven to put together a tournament.
Do you see this tournament as an attempt by the NBA to officially kill their offseason?
Definitely. July is NBA free agency and away September everyone is geartrain up for the season but August in dead space for basketball game and that's equitable non acceptable for the league. The last ii weeks in August are the Fiddling League Global Series and then the NBA patterned they could occupy the first fortnight with little competition.
This interview was emended and condensed for clarity.
https://www.fatherly.com/play/former-nba-player-bob-bigelow-jr-nba-world-championship/
Source: https://www.fatherly.com/play/former-nba-player-bob-bigelow-jr-nba-world-championship/
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