Adam Silver In Favor Of Reducing Age Limit To Enter NBA

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was once a proponent of increasing the age limit to play in the league from 18-years old to 19. That’s exactly what happened.

Now, Silver said he would like to change it back.

“I think there’s an opportunity (to change it),” Silver said during his annual news conference during Summer League. “It’s (based on) larger conversations than just whether we go from 19 to 18, but I’m on record: When I balance all of these various considerations, I think that would be the right thing to do and I am hopeful that that’s a change we make in this next collective bargaining cycle, which will happen in the next couple years.”

Silver said the NCAA’s new Name, Image and Likeness as one reason his mind had changed. And that the players would be best set up for long-term success if they join the league directly — instead of finding another avenue for a year.

“It may be the case that it’s in all of our interests that we start impacting with these young players, especially because in our sport they are identified at such a young age,” Silver said, “and begin working with them on their development then, not just basketball skills but increasingly there’s a focus on their mental health, their diets, just helping them build character and all of the important values around the sport.”