NBA Age Limit Would Hurt Derrick Rose in Future Olympics

David Stern is proposing a 23-and-under age limit for NBA players in the Olympics

After 2012 London Olympics are over, NBA Commissioner David Stern plans to propose an age limit for all future NBA players who want to participate in the Games. If he gets his way, the age for NBA players to compete would be capped at 23-years-old.

Stern first floated the idea in interview with ESPN Radio in late April.

“I think it's time for us to review the entire [Olympic] policy … My own view is that post-London, we should be thinking about even what soccer does and make it 23 and under.”

The proposal is unpopular among all of the current Team USA players and Los Angeles Lakers superstar, Kobe Bryant, called the idea “stupid.”

“It's a stupid idea. Stupid,” Bryant told the New York Times recently. “It should be a (player's) choice.”

In an interview with basketball website SheridanHoops.com last week, Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the U.S. Men's National Team, also disagreed with Stern's plan to try and institute an age limit for NBA players.

“I think that discussion should be a long, thorough, discussion before anyone goes off half-cocked. That's my opinion and I shared that with David.”

In the same interview, former Chicago Bulls and current New York Knicks center, Tyson Chandler, pointed out that an age limit would've prevented a swimmer like Dara Torres from competing in the 2008 games in Beijing. Torres was 41-years-old at the time and won two silver medals.

Hitting closer to home, an age limit would permanently hurt players like Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose.

Under this scenario, this would've been Rose's last summer being eligible to play for Team USA as he's already 23-years-old but unable to compete because of a torn ACL suffered in the NBA Playoffs this year.

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