G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim has taken plenty of heat after the supplemental NBA league has nicked some of the top high school prospects of the 2021 class, starting with No. 1 recruit Jalen Green.
Abdur-Rahim has gone on the record to say the G League doesn't plan to compete with the NCAA, let alone try to wrestle away prospects from big schools like Duke, Kentucky, Villanova, and many others.
Via David Aldridge of The Athletic:
“The idea of competing—come here and don’t go to Duke—the idea that anyone from the G League is actively recruiting against college, that this is better than college, I wouldn’t do that, and I’ve instructed everyone in our group, that’s not our position,” Abdur-Rahim said. “We’re presenting our position and what we have to offer. If we go to a young man and he says ‘This is better,’ that’s a choice. And that’s a good thing … the young man should be able to choose. And they’ve said on their own, I’m going to choose. For a kid to pick up and go to Australia, he’s choosing on his own. For a kid to take a year off, he’s choosing on his own.”
The G League poses a sound option for some of these high school bluebloods who might not be as hip to going into a four-year school, only to leave for the NBA after a year. Others like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton chose to go overseas to pursue a pro career before throwing their name in the hat.
Even before them, others like Brandon Jennings chose to go the overseas route instead of playing for a big-name school. That option doesn't apply to every top-rated player coming out of high school, as even Abdur-Rahim's own son has chosen to attend college even after his father's initiative with the G League.
“My son has known about this forever,” said Abdur-Rahim. “He’s known I’m working on this. His thing has been, ‘That’s cool, congratulations. I’m going to school’ … there’s always going to be top tier players who say my dream is going to ‘X’ school.”
This G League program is meant for only top-of-the-line high school talent looking for something different than the college experience. The G League offers pay as well as pro-level competition and maximized instruction about the NBA rules and its system, boasting pro-experienced coaches and former players.
While those are a bevy of pot sweeteners, they can't replace the team experience that comes with representing a big school or the memories that may come from it. All Abdur-Rahim can do is pitch his part and let the player pick.
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