When Did The NBA Require One Year of College?

In 1971, the NBA required all players to complete one year of college before being eligible for the draft. This rule was implemented in order to ensure that players were physically and mentally ready for the rigors of professional basketball. Prior to this rule, many players had entered the league straight out of high school and were not prepared for the NBA’s level of competition. The one-year rule helped to level the playing field and give all players a better chance at success in the league.

The Early Days

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded in 1946, just one year after the end of World War II. At that time, the league was made up of just eleven teams. The rules were different then, too. For example, the shot clock, which is now a standard part of the game, was not introduced until 1954. College basketball was also very different in the early days of the NBA.

Pre-1950

Pre-1950, there was no rule in the NBA requiring players to attend college for a year before entering the NBA Draft. In 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was founded, and three years later, it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. Players were eligible for the NBA Draft immediately after high school from 1947 until 1957. In those 11 years, 42 players went from high school directly to the NBA, including some who became legends, such as Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The 1950s

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. In its early years, the league was made up of 17 teams.

1950-1956

From the start, the NBA had a requirement that players wait one year after high school before they could enter the draft. In 1956, however, the rule was changed to allow players who had graduated from high school to enter the draft. This change was made in response to concerns that top college players were being forced to play in the NBA without having a chance to develop their skills. The one-year wait requirement was reinstated in 1966, and it remains in place today.

1957-1959

The 1950s were a transitional decade for the NBA. In 1957, the NBA became the first major professional sports league in the United States to require all of its players to have one year of college experience before being eligible for the draft. This rule was implemented in an effort to improve the level of play in the league and to attract more fans.

It wasn’t until 1959 that the NBA draft was televised, making it one of the first major sporting events to be broadcast on television. The draft helped increase interest in the NBA and led to more competitive teams and better players.

In the late 1950s, the NBA began to expand, adding new teams in Chicago, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. This expansion helped spread the game of basketball across the United States and made it more popular than ever before.

The 1960s

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was established in 1946, and in its early years, it was not uncommon for players to join the league straight out of high school. In fact, some of the game’s most iconic players, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, made the jump from high school to the NBA. However, in the 1960s, the NBA began to require that players spend one year in college before being eligible for the draft.

1960-1966

The 1960s was a transformative decade for the NBA. In 1960, the league expanded by adding four new franchises, increasing the number of teams to ten. Three years later, the NBA doubled in size again, this time to fourteen teams. The 1960s also saw the debut of several legendary players, including Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson. The most significant change to the league during this decade, however, was the introduction of the ABA in 1967. This new rival league forced the NBA to make several changes in an attempt to stay competitive, including instituting a minimum age limit of twenty-one and requiring players to have completed at least one year of college before being eligible for the draft. These two requirements remain in place today.

1967-1969

From 1967 to 1969, the college eligibility rules were changed so that players had to complete four years of college (or move on to other professional leagues) before being eligible for the NBA draft. This change is often cited as one of the key reasons for the decline of the ABA, as many top players opted to go to the NBA instead.

The 1970s

1970-1974

In 1972, the NBA adopted a rule stating that players had to declare their eligibility for the draft no later than 60 days after the last basketball game in which they participated in order to be eligible for that year’s draft. At that time, college seniors were automatically eligible while everyone else was not. This rule effectively barred high school and junior college players from entering the NBA draft. In order to be eligible for the NBA draft, players now had to declare their intent to turn professional no later than 60 days after the last basketball game in which they participated.

In 1974, the NBA amended its rules again to require that players must be at least four years removed from their high school class’s graduation in order to be eligible for the NBA draft. This rule change effectively ended the practice of “ Prep-to-Pro ”, where high school students would spend a post-graduate year at a junior college with the intention of declaring for the NBA draft the following year. Players who were ineligible for the draft due to this rule change were said to be “in th

1975-1979

The 1970s were a time of great change in the NBA. The league expanded, added new teams, and introduced a number of rule changes that would shape the future of the game. Among the most significant changes was the introduction of the one-year minimum age requirement for players in 1976. This rule change would have a profound impact on the game, both in terms of the players it would attract to the league and how those players would be used by teams.

The one-year age requirement was not the only change to affect player recruitment in the 1970s. In 1971, the NBA announced that it would be adding two new expansion teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. This meant that there would be more opportunities for players to make it into the league. Additionally, in 1974, the NCAA introduced a new rule that prevented colleges from sending their players to compete in pre-season NBA exhibition games. This meant that college players could no longer get a head start on making an impression with NBA scouts.

These changes led to a decline in the number of African American players in the NBA during the 1970s. In 1975-76, African Americans made up 53% of NBA rosters. By 1979-80, that number had fallen to 47%. The decline was even more pronounced among rookies, with African Americans composing just 37% of rookie class by 1979-80.

The decline in African American players continued into the 1980s, reaching a low point of 27% in 1986-87 before beginning to rebound in subsequent years.

The 1980s

The 1980s were a decade of great change in the NBA. The league saw the retirement of some of its greatest players, the expansion of the game internationally, and the debut of some of the greatest players of all time. The 1980s were also a decade of great change in the NBA’s rules. One of the most significant changes was the requirement that all players must spend at least one year in college before entering the NBA draft.

1980-1984

In 1981, the NBA adopted a rule that required players to be at least four years removed from high school before they could eligible for the draft. This rule, which is still in effect today, is often referred to as the “one-and-done” rule.

The four-year rule was implemented in an effort to curb the influx of young players who were not ready for the physical and mental demands of playing in the NBA. Prior to the rule being put in place, players such as Moses Malone and Darryl Dawkins had skipped college altogether and gone straight from high school to the NBA.

While the one-and-done rule has been successful in preventing high school players from declaring for the NBA draft, it has also had the unintended consequence of making college basketball a de facto minor league for the NBA. Today, many of the best players in college basketball are only there for one year before declaring for the NBA draft.

1985-1989

The 1980s were not a particularly active period for rule changes in the NBA. However, a few significant changes were made during this time. In an effort to improve player skill and increase scoring, the league experimented with several rule changes. These included changing the size of the foul lane, allowing zone defenses, and moving the three-point line closer to the basket.

In order to reduce rough play, the NBA implemented a policy of suspending players for flagrant fouls. This rule was put into place after several high-profile fights broke out between players on opposing teams.

The most significant change during this period was the implementation of a minimum age requirement for players entering the NBA draft. Prior to this change, players could be drafted straight out of high school. However, after much discussion and debate, it was decided that players would need to be at least 19 years old and have completed one year of college basketball before being eligible for the draft. This rule remains in place today and has had a major impact on the development of young players in the NBA.

The Modern Era

In order to be eligible to play in the NBA, players must now complete one year of college (or international equivalent). The rule was implemented in the 2005 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

1990-present

In the 1990s, the college game changed drastically. In an effort to clean up the game, which had become increasingly physical and below the rim, the NCAA instituted a number of rule changes. The most significant of these was the introduction of the shot clock, which sped up the game and opened up opportunities for perimeter players.

In order to further reward skilled players, in 2006 the NBA instituted a rule change that required all players to be at least one year removed from their high school graduation class in order to be eligible for the NBA Draft. This effectively made the one-and-done rule a requirement for all NBA hopefuls.

As a result of these changes, the modern era of college basketball is defined by an increased level of skill and athleticism. The biggest stars in the game are often “one-and-done” players who spend just one year in college before entering the NBA Draft. Some of these players have gone on to have successful NBA careers, while others have struggled to adapt to the faster pace and more physical nature of professional basketball.