The New York Times, apparently unable to find their copy of the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, brings us the story of 16-year old LaBaron James from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, who will be a high school junior in the fall.

So what's the big deal? It seems many around James believe he would have been taken in the first round of the most recent N.B.A. draft, possibly a lottery pick. As a High School Sophomore, mind you.

As our Andy Stein pointed out, the league's collective bargaining agreement says that "A person whose high school class has graduated shall become eligible to be selected in the NBA Draft if he renounces his intercollegiate basketball eligibility." So much for the hopes and dreams of K through 12 students in the U.S., I guess.