“It’s a travesty…education is vital” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar felt the one-and-done rule is horrible for college athletes

Coach John Calipari and the University of Kentucky popularized the one-and-done phenomenon after the NBA set a minimum age requirement of 19, one year removed from high school, for players to be eligible for the NBA Draft in 2006. Because of this, high school stars were forced to play one season in college before declaring for the draft to satisfy the NBA’s guidelines.

And so we saw the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jamal Murray, Bam Adebayo, Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, Jared Vanderbilt, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey, and Cason Wallace leave the Wildcats after their freshman year.

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Back in 2017, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticized the one-and-done rule, saying kids no longer go to college for education, as they merely enroll to gain exposure while waiting to become draft-eligible. KAJ added that even the one year in college isn’t really one year, but way less than 365 days.

“They’re there less than six months,” he said. “It’s not even six months, and they’re gone. It’s a travesty, I think.”

Using college as a stepping stone

It’s easy to see why Abdul-Jabbar opposes the one-and-done. He played college ball until his senior season at UCLA, and not only was he NBA-ready when he entered the draft, but he also finished his college course before playing in the association. But a lot has changed since then, especially since the 2006 rule was implemented.

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That year, when KAJ was interviewed, 10 out of the first 13 picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, including the first seven, were freshmen. Overall, 14 out of the Top 20 picks in the 2017 NBA Draft were college freshmen, led by No.1 pick Markelle Fultz, No.2 Lonzo Ball, and No.3 Jayson Tatum.

One year later, the NBA saw a record 18 one-and-done kids get drafted. Nine of the Top 10 picks were college freshmen, with only Luka Doncic the exception. Last year, only one Top 10 pick wasn’t a college freshman, and that was Collin…

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Publish date : 2026-05-17 22:48:00

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