NBA Eases Hardship Rules

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May 4, 1976

New York -- The National Basketball Association has relaxed its hardship rules for college and high school player who wish to be draft by the NBA, it was announced Monday by league commissioner Larry O'Brien.

Under the ruling, which is part of the recent Oscar Robertson and collective bargaining settlements, any player whose high school class has graduated, may make himself eligible for the draft by renouncing his collegiate basketball eligibility.

The ruling is effective immediately.

Beginning with the 1977 draft, any player who wishes to become eligible for the NBA draft will have to give the league written notice renouncing his collegiate eligibility at least 45 days before the scheduled date of the draft.

For this year's draft, scheduled for June 8, an exception is being made to permit players to give written notice until May 10.

All players who previously have made hardship applications to the NBA for this year's draft and have not withdrawn them 24 hours prior to the draft will be deemed eligible and will not have to give further notice.

Previously, such players had to fill out hardship forms, and the NBA would carefully scrutinize their financial needs before declaring them eligible-or ineligible-for drafting.

Last year, for the first time in its history, high school players were pick in the draft-Darryl Dawkins from Maynard Evans High in Orlando by the Philadelphia 76ers, and Bill Willoughby from Dwight Morrow High in Englewood, N.J. by the Atlanta Hawks.

Source: Associated Press,

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