NBA Player Outcomes Following the Implementation of the ‘One-and-Done’ Rule: Do Top Players Really Benefit from Attending College First?

Abstract

Following the NBA’s 2006 ‘one-and-done’ rule, players have to be at least one year out of high school before being eligible for the annual draft. This study finds that, whereas an array of NBA player performance measures, often referred to as ‘advanced statistics,’ are strongly significant in explaining both minutes per game and draft order, there is no support for any additional impact on playing time associated with college basketball experience. Although those attending a top college basketball program do appear to get an extra boost in draft order, even after controlling for performance, there is otherwise no evidence that attending college confers any significant advantage for the players themselves.

Keywords: NBA, one-and-done rule, college basketball, advanced statistics

JEL Classification: J40, J30