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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was yet another NBA coach to denounce the NCAA for its actions after an FBI probe revealed a list of names with prospective professional players that received money during their time in college, a violation of collegiate rules.
Kerr noted that after all the cases, investigations, and probes surrounding these young men, the spectrum will shift to allowing players to come to the NBA straight out of high school once again.
“Oh, yeah, for sure, I think that’s inevitable,” Kerr said on the NBC Sports Warriors Insider Podcast. “That’s going to happen. And the NCAA is probably unwittingly helping foster that with the way they treat some of these kids.”
Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy recently had some strong words, calling the investigation a “racist” approach, given how the names in the list are all of people of color.
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Kerr said the way the NBA has expanded its G League, it could soon become a platform for kids looking to make money while investing in their game.
“The NCAA, the way they handle their business, they’re unwittingly sending kids to the professional ranks, whether it’s overseas or the G-League, as the G-League continues to grow,” Kerr said. “They’re making going to college, even for one year in the ‘one-and-done,’ less appealing to a lot of these players.”
The former Arizona four-year product noted the difference between a four-year college player like Draymond Green under coach Tom Izzo and a one-and-done product like Kevin Durant.
“Now Kevin Durant and LeBron James, those guys are outliers,” Kerr said. “They’re physical freaks of nature that just don’t exist.”
These could be the kind of basketball talents that could go directly from high school to the G-League, if not higher.
