[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Amare Stoudemire didn't start playing until he was 14.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amare_Stoudemire

Hakeem Olajuwon didn't start until he was 15.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakeem_Olajuwon

I would take that bet. AAU leagues are a step above city leagues in terms of cost and availability.

Believe it or not, many 6th graders now in the NBA were playing on playgrounds and local park gyms as kids.

Maybe in white-bread Utah it is different.

Check it out yourself.

http://www.aauboysbasketball.org/blue/index.asp

Star kids nowadays get identified early and get put on AAU teams no matter how poor they are. Exceptions are those that develop late or aren't interested in sports at young age.

Please don't accuse us white-bread Utahns of not understanding the world we live in. We have internet and TV out here in Utah. And sometimes those from outside the borders visit her and tell us how life is out there. Sometimes we even venture outside the borders.