2 Chainz has Gone to League as Minority Owner of Atlanta Hawks G-League Team

2 Chainz is the minority owner of the College Park Skyhawks NBAG-League

The NBA’s undeniable relationship with hip-hop just got even stronger as rapper 2 Chainz became a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks G-League team. 2 Chainz is no stranger to the NBA scene as he regularly attends NBA games. Earlier this year, 2 Chainz released his latest album entitled Rap or Go to the League. None other than LeBron James served as the A&R on the project. 2 Chainz, who once played college basketball, has finally made it to the NBA. 2 Chainz has successfully accomplished the two career options that his latest album personified. Those options are to “rap or go the league.”

The NBA has Once Again Made the Most out of its Marriage to Hip-Hop

For years, the NBA has shared a budding romance with hip-hop. While the NBA initially fought the relationship, the league eventually learned to capitalize off of it. The NBA’s latest venture in doing so is making 2 Chainz a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks new G-League team, the College Park Skyhawks. The team is relocating from Erie, Pennsylvania to College Park, Georgia. What better way to get a community behind a team than to include one of the area’s native sons in the building of the team. That is exactly what the NBA is doing with 2 Chainz.

The Rap or Go to the League rapper is from the area where the College Park Skyhawks will call home. The College Park Skyhawks will play at the Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia.

The NBA knows that working with 2 Chainz will help the team build a brand in the Atlanta market and better engage with the community. 2 Chainz’s involvement will definitely help get the community behind the team.

The Atlanta Citizens Will Get a Double Benefit as 2 Chainz Plans to Hire from Within the Community

When the new venture was announced, 2 Chainz indicated that he was most excited about the job opportunities that he will be able to provide to the community. 2 Chainz is eager to give back to his community and inspire the youth. With 2 Chainz behind the team, the College Park community is sure to benefit from the arrival of the College Park Skyhawks.

NBA G-League Gets New Talent While NCAA Stays in the Stoneage

NBA G-League

On Thursday, the NBA shocked the sports world when they announced an alternative to the unjust “one-and-done” rule.  The “one-and-done” rule mandates that NBA draft entrants be at least 19 years old or be one year removed from high school. The rule arbitrarily requires NBA hopefuls to attend college before attempting their dream of playing in the NBA.   That unwarranted requirement is now over, at least for some. The NBA will now allow select elite athletes who may not wish to attend college to enter the NBA G-League (the NBA’s minor league) and receive a “select-contract” worth $125,000. To qualify, athletes must be at least 18 years old and ineligible for the NBA draft.

Until Thursday, NBA hopefuls could have no affiliation with the NBA until they satisfied the “one-and-done” rule. This unfortunately left collegiate athletics as the only viable avenue to the NBA.  As a result, many elite basketball stars played in college for one year and then left for the NBA draft.  This phenomenon has been a major point of contention in the “pay-for-play” debate and became a focal point of the FBI’s investigation into college basketball last September. The FBI’s investigation exposed that many college basketball players are paid and given incentives for their athleticism, as they should be.   In reaction to the FBI’s investigation, the NCAA created the Commission on College Basketball (Commission) to “fix” college basketball or probably more correctly to maintain their unjustified control.

The Purpose of the Commission on College Basketball

The Commission was led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with the purpose of “improving integrity” in college basketball.  In April, the Commission issued a report and made several recommendations to “improve” college basketball.  The Commission arguably failed to adequately address many of issues in college basketball. However, the Commission did make some worthwhile recommendations.

One of those recommendations was to abolish the “one-and-done” rule.  The commission also urged the NBA and NCAA to create alternatives for athletes who do not wish to attend college.  The NBA answered that request with the implementation of this new program in the G-League.  Basketball players now have an option to play professionally that does not require college attendance.  While the NBA deserves credit for providing this new option, it does not remedy all of the problems in college athletics.

While the G-League Program is Great, it is Not the “Great Fix” for College Athletics

As great as this new program is, it is not the cure to all of the issues in college athletics.   Basketball players have an option outside of college athletics, but the injustices that plague college athletics is still prevalent.  Athletes who really want to attend college will continue to suffer.  Universities, coaches, and other sport administrative officials are still set to make unseemly amounts of money while the athletes are unjustly limited to a cost-of-attendance scholarship.  The cost-of-attendance cap unfairly prohibits college athletes from receiving the full value their athletic prowess could afford them.

Furthermore, this new program does not absolve the NCAA of its need to address the absurdity of its rules.   College-bound basketball players are still subject to the arbitrary “amateurism” rules that preclude “impermissible benefits.”  Therefore, a college-bound player may not receive assistance that could be misconstrued as an “impermissible benefit” no matter how dire their need.  Also, a player still cannot monetize his or her likeness with a YouTube channel showcasing their athleticism without jeopardizing their eligibility.  Accordingly, college athletes must choose between education and financial gain.

The NBA Still Retained Control

In addition to the control the NCAA has, the NBA unfoundedly asserted more control with the new program. The NBA retained control by making the program open only to “elite” basketball players.  Therefore, the NBA or an entity chosen by the NBA will determine who is “elite” enough to play in the G-League. This arbitrarily gives the NBA final say in who gets to exercise the option to play professionally.  The opportunity to play in the G-League should be open to any aspiring basketball player.  There should be a traditional tryout where the best players make the team.

Likewise, the NBA retained control by not allowing athletes to once again go straight to the NBA.  Aspiring professional basketball players should have that option.  Again, the NBA deserves credit for creating a viable option for aspiring professional players.  However, much work remains to truly make the system fair.