NCAA Responds To Heavy Criticism From LeBron James And Rich Paul

The NCAA introduced a bunch of changes regarding the requirements for agents working with basketball layers. LeBron James was the first to criticize the changes, and he even came up with the idea to call them “The Rich Paul Rule.”

So, the NCAA issued a memo to agents, pointing out to the requirements needed to with NBA Draft-eligible players.

“In the memo, obtained by ESPN, the NCAA outlined new criteria for agents: a bachelor’s degree, NBPA certification for at least three consecutive years, professional liability insurance and completion of an in-person exam taken in early November at the NCAA office in Indianapolis.

“The bachelor’s degree requirement has led some to refer to it as the “Rich Paul Rule.” Paul, who represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons and Draymond Green, among others, and recently brought his Klutch Sports Group under the United Talent Agency umbrella, began working with James a couple of years after high school and didn’t graduate from college.

“According to the new NCAA criteria, Paul wouldn’t be able to represent underclassmen testing the NBA draft waters.”

After facing serious criticism, the NCAA released a statement doubling down on their requirements.

“Although some can and have been successful without a college degree, as a higher education organization the NCAA values a college education and continues to emphasize the importance of earning a degree,” the statement reads. “We were guided by recommendations from the Commission on College Basketball — which spoke with the agent and advisor community — that the NCAA certification process should be more stringent than current processes.

“With this in mind, we benchmarked our new rules against requirements for other organizations that certify agents, like the NBPA which also requires agents to have a bachelor’s degree. While different and distinct, our rules taken together, which is the manner they were meant to be examined, provide a clear opportunity for our student-athletes to receive excellent advice from knowledgeable professionals on either the college or professional path they choose.”

Well, NBA stars won’t sit with their hands crossed. They have already issued full support for Rich Paul. LeBron won’t sit with his hands crossed. Let’s see what happens next.