Basketball was created and has been played since December 1891 (Griffiths, 2010), it is a game of skill and talent enjoyed by fans around the world. There are numerous leagues, but the two main ones are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NCAA is considered amateur where players don't get paid, while the NBA is considered professional where players make millions of dollars. In order for the NBA to get their players, they choose from the NCAA, but the rules have changed several times over the years and have allowed players to enter the NBA. The current rule states that NBA players must be one year removed from high school or 19 years old (Article X, 2008), this rule is considered by many to be the one in need of the most change. The early entry rule has been blamed for taking away the talent that has popularized NCAA basketball over the past 40 years (Hughes, 2013). Recently many of the most talented basketball players have entered the NCAA with no intention of playing a second, third or fourth year. The NBA allows players to be drafted at an age that many consider too young to live the lavish lifestyle of a professional player. This has been the cause of much debate as to whether the NBA should change eligibility to 20 years of age and a two-year suspension from high school. Many NCAA basketball players who make the decision to enter the NBA are not mentally prepared to deal with the responsibilities of life in the NBA. Young players depend on others to influence them or help them make bad decisions in life. What young players see as a reward for playing in the NBA is big money, and with that big money they make a lot of financial mistakes. In...... middle of paper......players make the mistakes of unsuccessful players after completing only one year. Works CitedAuerbach, Nicole and Jeffrey Martin Sports. "One and done, but never as simple as it seems." United States today. Gannett, February 18, 2014. Web. April 17, 2014. DeCourcy, Mike. “NBA, college benefits from one-size-fits-all rule.” Sports news. Np, 20 June 2011. Web. 16 April 2014.Giffiths, Sian. "The Canadian who invented basketball" BBC News. September 20, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2014. Hughes, Grant. “The NBA's age rule does more harm than good.” Bleacher Report. Np, August 8, 2013. Web. April 17, 2014. Washburn, Gary. “NBA and NCAA should reconsider one-time eligibility rules – The Boston Globe.” BostonGlobe.com. NP, Dec. 26, 2013. Web. Apr. 17, 2014. “Article X, Player Eligibility, and the NBA Draft.” National Basketball Players Association, February 27, 2008. Web. April 17. 2014