srproj_wolf_spr16

Transition Programs: A Case Study of the National Basketball Association
A Senior Project
presented to
the Faculty of the Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration Department
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science
by
Lindsey Wolf
June, 2016
© 2016 Lindsey Wolf

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ABSTRACT
TRANSITION PROGRAMS: A CASE STUDY OF THE
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
LINDSEY WOLF
JUNE 2016
The transition from college level athletics to the professional level is one, that if not done
correctly can potentially ruin careers and organizations. The purpose of this study was to
compare and contrast the organizational practices used to ease the transition of amateur to
professional athletes for the National Basketball Association (NBA). A case study was
performed looking into the best practices of the NBA and ways to further develop their
transition programs. Through this case study, it was found that the NBA has one of the
most thorough and established transition programs in the sport industry. Although they
are recognized for their transition programs, room still exists for improvements in
relation to the specific needs of each player entering the league.
Keywords: National Basketball Association, transition programs, organizational practices

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................iii
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE.................................... 1
Background of Study ...................................................................................................... 1
Review of Literature....................................................................................................... 2
Purpose of the Study....................................................................................................... 8
Research Questions......................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 2 METHODS....................................................................................................... 10
Description of Organization.......................................................................................... 10
Description of Instrument............................................................................................. 11
Description of Procedures............................................................................................. 12
Chapter 3 PRESENTATION OF THE RESULTS........................................................... 13
Core Culture and Structure ........................................................................................... 13
Recruitment, Training, and Retaining Procedures........................................................ 15
Program Development and Promotion ......................................................................... 16
Chapter 4 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS............................................................ 18
Discussion..................................................................................................................... 18
Conclusions................................................................................................................... 20
Recommendations......................................................................................................... 21
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 22
APPENDIXES.................................................................................................................. 25

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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Background of Study
As athletes are getting bigger, faster, and stronger, the demands of the
psychological and physical abilities are continuously challenged, forcing athletes trying
to play at the professional level to adapt quicker and in game changing ways. Over the
years, different professional sport leagues have made rules and parameters as to when an
amateur athlete can participate in the next level of their sporting career. Due to the nature
of sport and the frequent jump from level to level, rules have been put in place to take
care of the athletes, their bodies, and overall well-being. Transitioning to different careers
has its many challenges, but amateur athletes shifting to their professional careers have a
whole other set of obstacles to manage.
Most professional sport teams require student athletes to continue their academics
and sporting career in college, even if it is only for a year. The National Basketball
Association (NBA) is one of the professional sport organizations that require one year of
college or amateurism to be eligible for the draft. In a recent study done by the NCAA,
“More than 460,000 compete as NCAA athletes, and just a select few within each sport
move on to compete at the professional or Olympic level” (NCAA, 2015). The NCAA
also declared, for men’s basketball, only 1.2% of NCAA participants actually go to the
NBA. This statistic does not include professional leagues overseas. This is a select
population of athletes drafted to a professional league (a smaller population than other
professional sport leagues), but this small group of individuals that make up the NBA

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have a big impact on young athletes and individuals growing up as fans and enthusiasts
as well as an economic impact for each of the cities in which they play.
With such a select and specified group of players that make it to the next level,
player development and transition programs are vital for success of the athlete and the
programs for which they are drafted. The current structure of declaring for the draft,
choosing agents, and making the big leap from college to the National Basketball
Association can be daunting for nineteen to twenty year olds. The way in which this
evolution is handled can greatly improve the player and the brand they are trying to
covey, or conversely, completely crush the athlete’s chance to play at the professional
level. The transition from amateur to professional athlete has greatly changed throughout
the years and it is important for professional sport teams to empower and transition these
athletes in an ethical way.
Review of Literature
Research for this review of literature was conducted at Robert E. Kennedy
Library on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. In
addition to books and other resources, the following online databases were utilized:
Google Scholar, SPORTDiscus, and psycINFO. This review of literature includes the
following sections: professional sports, transition programs in professional sports, and
transition programs specifically in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Professional sport is an obsession for many, a hobby for some, and an inspiration
for even the most un-devoted fan. Sport does not simply consist of games that friends
watch on a weeknight or go to on a weekend. Sport permeates our everyday lives,

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whether it be from the clothes we wear, to the events we attend, to the important
economic role it plays in our society. Professional sport is not just a brand, but a branding
on the lives of a sports fan. Professional athletes are being paid millions of dollars to
compete at the highest level and rise to stardom as they emerge as some of the biggest
role models we have in society. This quick rise to success and stardom has its drawbacks.
Many of the aspects that come with sudden stardom such as popularity, money,
and travel, sound appealing, but they often give professional athletes and other overnight
superstars a rocky future. Wong, Zola, and Deubert (2011) explain, “Perhaps more than
ever before these problems are known to the public, and it has become clear that these
scandals are not an occasional blip in the process, but are instead part of a systemic
failure to provide meaningful guidance and support…” (p. 595). Sudden wealth, if not
handled correctly, can result in retired, bankrupt professional athletes, especially if they
have come from lower income urban backgrounds. Traveling around the country,
sometimes the world, sounds exhilarating and glamorous but can lead to time
management issues that can prevent building stable, healthy, personal relationships
outside of their team. Professional athletes also deal with idle time, depending on the time
of season, that if not used productively can lead to disruptive behavior such as crime and
scandal, depending on the character of the athlete. These situations can ruin and destroy
an athlete’s career and livelihood. Incoming professional athletes have to deal with the
necessary evil, called agents/managers, that can make or break an athlete’s entire career
depending on the agent’s tactics, ethics, and motives. Many people fantasize about a
professional sports career, but there is nothing easy about it.

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Problems that arise for professional athletes are reasons why transition or
development programs are enforced and provided for the dramatic lifestyle change of
incoming superstars. All professional sport organizations have some sort of transition
program where they take incoming athletes at the high school or collegiate level and
teach them about wellness in, around, and outside their given sport. For example, the
National Football League (NFL) has their Rookie Symposium, in which they focus on
NFL history, total wellness, experience, and professionalism. The NFL explains, “The
symposium includes presentations, videos, and workshops focused on these principles as
well as other topics, including player health and safety, decision making, mental health,
substance abuse and domestic violence prevention, non-discrimination, and maintaining
positive relationships” (NFL, 2015). This, as well as many other resources can be found
on the NFL Player Engagement website, that has tools, connections, and resources for
incoming and current players. It is important to note that the sole purpose of these
transition programs is the psychological growth and adjustment to a new lifestyle, not
necessarily just the physical transition, which is a daunting obstacle in itself. Every career
has some sort of training or instructional day; professional sports does the same, but
instead they focus on the lifestyle change and potential pitfalls that come with becoming
an overnight millionaire.
Although these programs exist, there is still a continual problem with domestic
violence, mental health, substance abuse, and other issues that are being addressed in
these transition programs. This issue has called into question the helpfulness and
effectiveness of such programs. This continuing issue, while difficult to completely
eliminate from professional sport or society as a whole, has a chance to be lessened with

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these educational courses that young, incoming athletes are required to take part in. The
real dispute with transition programs is how to make them as effective and personal as
possible, while maintaining continual support. It is in some of these areas that
professional sport programs are falling short. Chris Bosh (2005), a NBA star talked about
his transition program as, “…not a substitute for experience. It’s like when you’re young
and your parents tell you not to do something. All they can do is warn you. You still
might step into one of life’s many potholes…”. Preparing an individual for a complete
life change in regards to lifestyle and wealth isn’t an easy task and a successful transition
is also dependent on the individual coming in previously to these transition programs
with regard to maturity, character, coach-ability, and comprehension level.
Another reason for these transition programs is to shift the high school or college
“game” mentality to the “livelihood” attitude professional athletes bring every day to
practice and games. This idea, though it may seem to be common sense, is hard for
seventeen to nineteen-year-olds to grasp and apply. Wong et al. (2011) stated, “Not
surprisingly, many student-athletes have an inflated sense of their own abilities and often
fail to grasp just how difficult it is to make a living as a professional athlete” (p. 591). In
the age of “everyone gets a participation trophy”, there is an easy correlation to why
many athletes coming into a professional sport program think they are going to dominate
and contribute immediately.
One of the longest-running and most all-encompassing transition programs
belongs to the National Basketball Association (Andrews, 2007). Chris Bosh (2005), a
well-known center that last played for the Miami Heat, said in regard to the NBA
transition, “You don’t just push a button and suddenly think, act and even view yourself

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as a professional athlete”. The NBA transition program has been around since 1986,
where each September the newest NBA incomers join for a six-day, twelve-hour per day
orientation where they get a glimpse into their new life (NBA, 2003). This six-day course
covers various topics (such as the NFL example previously mentioned) from
professional/life skills, player/personal development, education on health and well-being,
media/community relations, and legal education. The NBA also has specialized program
sessions during this orientation for international players, and players “20 and under”.
The “20 and under” athletes involved in the NBA transition program have had a
bumpy ride due to continuous rule changes that the NBA has put in place to better these
athletes’ success in their professional careers. One of the biggest controversies in
applying for the NBA draft, is that players have to play one year of college basketball,
also known as the “one and done” rule. This rule has been debated and changed over the
years for a multitude of reasons, one of which is questioning the maturity and readiness
of high school players going directly to the NBA. The high school to professional level
transition has been accomplished successfully by players such as Moses Malone, Kevin
Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard, to name a few. But there have also been
complete failures of once amazing high school athletes that did not transition to the NBA
successfully. As Kevin Garnett said, “There is nothing easy about the NBA. If I could
have gone to college, I would have in a heartbeat” (Abrams, 2016, p. 40).
If debates and controversy over the “one and done” rule change, so does the
whole transition program. While many student-athletes thrive in the college atmosphere,
many don’t, and some are looking to getting by in one year of college and move on to the
NBA. This is affecting college basketball today in ways it hasn’t before. Many college

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athletes, friends, and family feel that universities are gaining loads of cash for the
betterment of their programs, while the athlete gets no compensation for the use of their
name and talents. As Beamon and Bell (2002) state, “The student-athlete can value
her/his effort to the sport and neglect opportunities for educational achievement and
intellectual development” (p. 180). More and more athletes are going through the motions
while using up their one year in college to venture into their new life as a professional
basketball player. Woodruff and Schallert (2007) describe these student-athletes as the
“stay and play” individual which struggled academically but exceeded in their athletic
career, where a degree was an option if it worked out but not the ultimate goal. Many
athletes have described their experience of being a student-athlete as, “…pressure,
obligation, and compliance; limitations imposed by the structure of Division I athletics”
(Kimball, 2007, p. 828). There are many challenges that go into the “one and done” rule
that will continue to be debated until this rule is streamlined. Such debates include:
athletes circumventing NCAA amateurism, scouting starting at younger and younger
ages, and one of the main arguments of the ethics behind keeping an individual from
earning money right out of high school. Just as a transition program would be a
mandatory class in school, the NBA has required “prerequisites” to enter the draft for the
success of the athlete.
The NBA also offers other successful transition programs such as the
Development League (also called the D-League) and the NBA Retired Players
Association. The D-League is the NBA’s official minor league basketball organization.
Although most qualified college athletes don’t want to go to the D-League, it is a good
stepping stone to enter into the NBA. Wong et al. (2011) said, “For players who aspire to

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play in the NBA, they often have to choose between making $12,000 and $24,000 per
year in the NBA Developmental League or $500,000 per year playing in Europe”. Even
though the D-League is a minor league for the NBA many athletes that do not make it to
the NBA opt for playing in Europe for higher pay, and because they are not guaranteed to
move up in leagues. The D-League was designed for individuals that may not have
reached the same level as their peers but have a good opportunity to grow with their
physical abilities. Similarly, the NBA Retired Players Association formed to support
NBA, WNBA, and players from the Harlem Globetrotters to adjust and seamlessly
transition to life after their professional basketball careers. Just as the transition into the
NBA is a unique and life changing experience, so is leaving the league and adjusting to
retired life.
The NBA’s transition programs are an ever changing venture, just like the
athletes, sports, and world we live in. As the great Minnesota Timberwolves power
forward, Kevin Garnett stated, “The league ain’t no joke, man” (Abrams, 2016, p. 34).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the organizational
practices used to ease the transition of amateur to professional athletes for the National
Basketball Association.
Research Questions
This study attempted to answer the following research questions:
1. What mandatory transition processes do incoming NBA athletes go through?

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2. What are the rules for amateur athletes turning professional in the National
Basketball Association?
3. What are some of the physiological and physical considerations when
transitioning from amateur to the professional level?
4. How effective has the National Basketball Association transition program
been for athletes entering the league?

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Chapter 2
METHODS
Basketball Association. This chapter includes the following sections: description of
organization, description of instrument, and description of procedures.
Description of Organization
A case study was conducted on the National Basketball Association (NBA) and
their organizational practices. The NBA is one of most well-known and respected sport
leagues on the planet. The NBA states their calling is to, “compete with intensity, lead
with integrity, and inspire play” (NBA, 2015). It is also mentioned that their four key
characteristics they try to achieve as an organization are integrity, teamwork, respect, and
innovation. The NBA is run by commissioner Adam Silver who was elected February
2014. A total of thirty teams make up the NBA, which are broken up into the Eastern and
Western Conferences. In the 2014-1015 season the NBA made a record $5.8 billion
(Gerencer, 2015). It has also been documented that each team is worth an average of
$1.25 billion, the highest value recorded in NBA history (Forbes, 2016). The NBA
currently has four hundred and forty-six players, and employs around four thousand other
professionals in many different sectors (Gerencer, 2015). The NBA has departments in:
administration and benefits, basketball and broadcast operations, communications, digital
media, events, finance, global marketing partnerships (GMP), global media and

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merchandise, information technology (IT), international relations, legal, marketing, NBA
development league, production and programming, referee operations, security, social
responsibility and player programs, and the WNBA (NBA, 2015). The NBA targets many
different audiences, fan bases, and demographics. The league and teams run as their own
organizations, with each team having an owner or multiple owners. In addition, since
each team is run independently, they reach out to many different audiences through not
only their games, but community outreaches and programs that each team sponsors.
Sometimes these programs, such as NBA Cares or NBA FIT are programs that all
organizations or teams participate in.
Description of Instrument
A best practices guide was developed by the researcher (see Appendix A) to
describe the Organizational Practices that are involved in the National Basketball
Association (NBA). This instrument was created in line with the previously stated
research questions to get the best assessment of the practices the NBA uses internally and
externally in the organization. The instrument was composed of ten questions, trying to
understand and improve on organizational practices used in the NBA. The combination
of internal and external components was key in providing insight into the vast range of
employees and audiences the NBA accommodates. This standardized instrument used by
the NBA mostly looks at internal factors that relate to the best practices of the
organization. The instrument was then piloted through a similar league, in which the pilot
was modified to get improved, more informed data. Changes that were made to the

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instrument were those that related more closely with the research questions and purpose
of the study.
Description of Procedures
A case study was conducted on the National Basketball Association (NBA) and
their organizational practices. A best practices guide was developed by the researcher
(see Appendix A) to describe the organizational practices that are involved in the NBA.
Research was conducted on the instrument during a two-week segment. During this time,
research was collected through the NBA and Forbes website.

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Chapter 3
PRESENTATION OF THE RESULTS
Basketball Association. A case study approach was utilized to examine the National
Basketball Association. This chapter includes the following sections: core culture and
structure, recruitment, training, and retaining procedures, and program development and
promotion.
Core Culture and Structure
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has come a long way from being a
league of eleven teams in 1946 to a league comprised of thirty teams averaging $1.25
billion per franchise. It has gone this far and been continually successful by having a
solid core culture and structure it follows. The organization’s four main pillars include:
integrity, teamwork, respect, and innovation. They require of themselves integrity
through honesty, ethics, and fair dealing. They include teamwork in more ways than just
on the court through communities and departmental lines. Respect is driven by the value
of individuality and diversity ensuring that everyone feels welcome at games, events, and
the workplace. Innovation is key to the NBA in continuing the success as being one of
the top sport leagues in the world and they do this by encouraging creative thinking and
not being afraid to fail. These pinnacles of the organization have carried through not only
on the court but off into all aspects of the organization. To promote this core culture in

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the work environment, staff members are recruited and trained with these properties in
mind. The NBA not only is comprised of thirty teams, but also oversees the Women’s
National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Developmental League (D-League).
These two separate but connected organizations follow the same core culture and
structure as the NBA by growing successful leagues of their own. A lot of the time
players and coaches get judged by their actions for the whole organization, when there
are so many other individuals that work behind the scenes to make this sport and industry
thrive.
The NBA is structured in a hierarchical format, where the commissioner conducts
and oversees all the administration duties. Since this organization has thirty teams or
smaller organizations within the NBA, they all have their own owner, CEO, and
president. Each president of a team oversees the general manager and vice presidents of
public relations, finance, sales and marketing, ticket operations and marketing,
sponsorship of sales, and premium seating and ticket sales. All of these vice presidents
oversee their own department and individuals working toward the four pillars of the
NBA. The general manager is responsible for the head coach, assistant coaches, and
trainers. The structure and organization of the NBA is similar to other big companies run
around the world. Since there are so many levels and individuals that work for the NBA,
communication between and through the company is important. This is especially true
because this organization and all its teams bring in a lot of media coverage of their
events. To make sure information about teams and the core culture of the NBA get out to
the public correctly and ethically, media and public relation departments exist to bring
this communication to life.

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Recruitment, Training, and Retaining Procedures:
Throughout the many levels of the National Basketball Association (NBA),
recruitment, training, and retaining procedures vary and are carried out effectively. For
example, the way athletes and coaches are recruited is different from how a human
resource manager would function. Recruitment for athletes is executed through a draft
every year, where sixty athletes are chosen to enter the NBA. The draft is made up of two
rounds where thirty picks can be chosen from each. Every team gets one pick per round,
but teams are given the opportunity to pick more than once per round or not at all
depending on teams trading for draft picks. Draft picks can be traded for multiple reason
such as acquiring other players and draft picks or money. As with a job application there
are requirements for these athletes to even enter the draft. These requirements include:
athlete must be 19 years old within the calendar year of the draft, must declare eligibility
sixty days before draft, and cannot have entered the draft more than twice or hired an
agent. Recruitment from players and coaches usually derive from reputation and the
successes they have had at the previous or similar level. This is comparable to the
experience needed for any position, such as resume, cover letter, application, and
interview process. Selection for spots in administration and other management jobs that
the NBA employs go through the processes stated above that extremely differs from the
draft. It is important to the NBA that at every level they hire to promote and sustain their
core culture through the recruitment, training, and retaining procedures. Overall, the
NBA doesn’t have a hard time retaining employees at all levels because it is a well-
known and desired organization to work for. With that said the average athlete’s NBA

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career is 4.8 years. This compares to the NFL’s career average of 3.5 years, MLB’s 5.6
years, and average NHL career of 5.5 years. This may not seem like a long time, but
these athletes are lost to injuries or other leagues overseas that may pay more and offer
more playing time. With that being said, the average NBA player salary is higher than
other major sports throughout their prospective careers. A typical NBA player averages
$24.7 million throughout their career, while the other major sports (baseball, football, and
hockey) average $12.5 million. With all the available money and life changing events
that happen throughout a NBA athlete’s life, it is important to train athletes the correct
way. The NBA tries to accommodate this through transition and developmental
programs.
Program Development and Promotion
Transition and developmental programs are at the core of program, team, and
organizational development. The NBA recognizes their transition program as important
to league development and promotion due to the fans and communities looking up to
individual players and teams. The transition program into the NBA is designed to teach
players the ins and outs of the new lifestyle they are about to embark on. These programs
include everything from finance management, how to deal with media, nutritional and
health habits, and everything in between. Every athlete is required to go through this
transition program and there is much take away. The program lasts six days for twelve
hours a day and has been going on for over twenty years. Although this program is
beneficial and ongoing, that doesn’t always take away the problems and issues that
athletes face throughout their career.

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Performance management and reputation is one of, if not the biggest keys to
success in the NBA. Player, coaches, and fans know that the top producing players most
likely get the top dollar for their play. Performance management in the NBA is based on
many factors including individual play such as points, rebounds, assists, steals, etc., as
well as team performance involving how far the team goes and how many fans
consistently come to watch games. For athletes in the NBA, promotion comes in the form
of a pay check and what team you end up on depends on the contract the athlete, agent,
and team agree upon. For other employees in the administration and management side of
the NBA program, development and promotion happens in a completely different way,
based upon performance management. It is important to note that with program
development, the NBA reaches out to the community in many different ways. This is a
form of program development that the community is involved in and makes them more
invested in the separate organization or teams as opposed to not being connected with the
NBA brand. This comes back to the importance of communication within and outside of
the organization and the departments the NBA uses to control, filter, and produce the
most current and relevant information for the public. Additionally, this includes high
communication skills within the organization working as one unit. As seen before in the
NBA and other major organizations, one small slip of information can lead to the utmost
problems for that organization.

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Chapter 4
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Transition programs are important to the success and ease of incoming
professional basketball players. This concluding chapter will include the following: a
discussion of the findings, limitations, conclusions based on research questions, and
implications of the findings, and recommendations for future research.
Discussion
In order to enter the National Basketball Association (NBA), athletes have to go
through and meet mandatory protocols and attend the transition program. Chris Bosh
(2005) explains that incoming athletes will, “… learn about responsibility and become
their own men during the course of their rookie season”. Each player goes through
protocols, but every player is different. Some come into the NBA more mature than their
counterparts and the transition programs should cater to this. While some athletes are
ready to play and perform from the day they are drafted, most are not. Transition
programs in the National Basketball Association should be specific to each individual
athlete. The implications of this directly affects the successfulness of athletes and the
teams they join by how prepared mentally and physically they come into their
organization.
Like most leagues, teams, and organizations, the rules to enter a league are ever
changing because of our fast paced society, and the nuances that arise. The National

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Basketball Association (NBA) and its commissioner are in charge of rule changes
regarding entrance into the league. Although the qualifications of who they allow to enter
the draft hasn’t changed since 2006, it is an ongoing debate because of recent
controversies and loopholes (NBA, 2015). Since these issues occur consistently and the
NBA wants to keep their core values and standards, the rules and regulation of draft
entrance should be addressed immediately as these issues and loopholes arise in the
system. There are huge implications surrounding the transition into the NBA. Allowing a
player to transition too fast or too slow can affect an athlete’s team, or even the NBA as a
whole organization. Rules and regulations put in place can protect these entities.
There are two different assimilation programs athletes are placed into when they
enter the National Basketball Association (NBA). The transition program is one that
focuses on the athlete’s psychological development, while the Developmental League (D-
League) focuses on the athlete’s physical development (players that didn’t get drafted
have this option). Either program comes with a learning curve and they try to, “… help
educate them on making a good decision that fits well with your head and with your
heart” (NBA, 2015). A mixture of psychological and physical considerations should be
based on each athlete when they go through either path of their assimilation programs. At
this moment in the NBA, there seems to be a path either to the transition program or the
D-League where mental or physical is being emphasized. The implication of this action is
that the NBA is not creating a well-rounded player in the NBA or D-League.
The NBA has one of the most successful and long running transition programs in
all professional sports. They help transition sixty athletes that come in every year and
have been doing so for over twenty years (NBA, 2003). Having a well-established

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transition program sets the standard for others in the sports industry all over the world.
Due to the NBA’s successful transition program they should continue to push the
standards and growth of these programs through assessing the strengths and weaknesses
it already includes. The implications of assessment of their existing program(s) means
further development for athletes, teams, NBA, and the sporting world.
Although this topic has been researched thoroughly, there are some limitations
that could arise. First, the websites and company profiles the researcher has studied are
directly related to the organization which could have led to bias. Secondly, there may be
first-hand knowledge or experience missing from my report as all research has been done
online and through text sources. Lastly, because the researcher is passionate about this
topic, a personal bias could have been presented on the company, and/or topic.
Any transition in life comes with its challenges, but professional athletes have a
new learning curve in multiple, if not every aspect of their life. Transition programs were
put in place to help enhance this transition and assist the athlete to become their best
possible self on and off the court. The National Basketball Association has set a
precedent in transition programs in the professional sport industry. Although their
program has set a standard, transition programs should be evolving and dynamic like the
world we live in.
Conclusions
Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions are drawn:
1. Athletes entering the draft and/or NBA go through the mandatory process of
entrance protocols and transition program.

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2. The National Basketball Association sets strict rules and regulations on what
athletes must do to enter the draft.
3. There are both psychological (transition program) and physical
(Developmental League) considerations for development of professional
athletes heading into the NBA.
4. The National Basketball Association has one of the most established transition
programs.
Recommendations
Based on the conclusions of this study, the following recommendations are made:
1. Transition programs should continually be improved and refined by the
experiences of the athletes that have come before them.
2. Transition programs in the National Basketball Association should be specific
to each individual player.
3. Rules and regulations of draft entrance should be addressed immediately as
issues and loopholes arise in the system.
4. A mixture of psychological and physical considerations should be based on
each athlete when transition programs are developed.
5. The transition program should continue to set and push the standards through
assessment.
6. Further research into ways that can make transition programs more successful
by lower issues such as domestic violence and substance abuse.

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