PBS SEGMENT

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Issue four: NBA's nannies.

U.S. Army, yes. Pro basketball, forget about it; that's if you're 18. NBA Commissioner David Stern says if you're 18, you cannot play pro basketball. Two weeks ago, the NBA raised its minimum age for players to 19.

Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett -- all phenoms in their first year-- would have had their debuts postponed under the new rule. The president of the NBA Players Union challenged the new rule: "I can't understand why people think one is needed, except for the fact that the NBA is viewed as predominantly black."

Indiana Pacers' star forward Jermaine O'Neal was drafted by the NBA when he was 17. When he heard about the new rule, O'Neal was vexed: "As a black guy, you kind of think race is the reason why it's coming up. You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. It's unconstitutional. If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18, why can't I play basketball?"

Do you think it's okay for the Department of Defense to recruit 18-year-olds just out of high school, but the NBA forbids it?