Loading...
The NBA’s “One-and-Done” Rule: Procompetitive Justifications and Anticompetitive Effects
Ruderman, Rachel
Ruderman, Rachel
Abstract
In 2005, the National Basketball Association (NBA) implemented a rule prohibiting players from entering the League directly after high school. To be
eligible to join the NBA, players need to meet two conditions: (1) at least one
year must have elapsed since they graduated high school, and (2) they must be
19 years old or must turn 19 the year they enter.1 This rule,2 often termed the
“One-and-Done” Rule, was first enacted in advance of the 2006 NBA draft. The
most talented high school athletes tend to compete in National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball until they are eligible to play
professionally, although a few alternative options do exist. To fully understand
the anticompetitive and procompetitive effects of the One-and-Done Rule, this
Article will examine the justifications and consequences of the rule under a fullrule-
of-reason approach that courts may take if the legality of the rule were to be
litigated.3 The following analysis demonstrates that, on balance, the rule has
salient anticompetitive effects on the market for talented young basketball
players, and may violate antitrust laws.