Too Big of a Jump to NBA Competition (& Rent)?

What do former NBA players Jack Sikma, Devean George, Vern Mikkelsen, and Terry Porter have in common?

 

I’m a big basketball fan, but had only heard of 3 out of the 4.  And I had no idea what they had in common.

 

Answer: They all came to the NBA after playing at a Division 3 college.  That’s pretty hard to do.  It’s so hard, in fact, that they are the ONLY players to ever make it to the NBA from Division 3 schools.

 

Why is that?  The best high school basketball players have either gone directly into the NBA (ex: LeBron James) or gone via a Division 1 college (ex: Kemba Walker from the University of Connecticut).  The competition in Division 1 is fierce and players train year-round to compete.  And 99%+ of Division 1 players are not good enough to play in the NBA.

 

Division 3?  Though the players are very good if they are playing hoops in the park with you, most would probably have a hard time competing against a Division 1 player’s athleticism, size, and skill.  Those Division 1 guys are really good!  And multiply that by 100 for the guys who are good enough to play in the NBA.

 

So am I a Division 3 hater?  Not at all!  I can probably relate to them much more on the basketball court.  But when they have to try to play against NBA-caliber players, it’s just too much of a jump.  The NBA guys are stronger, faster, quicker, more accurate, have better basketball IQ, and jump a lot higher.  Most Division 3 players don’t stand a chance.  It’s like trying to compete against a perfect storm of genetics and work ethic.

 

I sometimes feel like I run into this situation with rental applications.

 

BDF Realty receives some applications from perfectly fine, average tenants.  They have decent credit scores, a few late payments from their prior landlord, and have some debt.  But we have to turn them down.  Why?

 

Because they are paying $900.00 in rent and want to rent a house that rents for $1,500.00.  With rising rents in Charlotte, this has become a more common situation.

 

We have to ask: if the tenant was late a few times at $900/month and apparently has consumer credit card debt that is being carried from month-to-month (aka living beyond their means), what is it going to look like when the rent jumps up to $1,500/month?  Where is that extra $600/month coming from?  It would require a lifestyle change that most people don’t want to and/or are unable to make.

 

It’s certainly not impossible.  But just like the aforementioned four Division 3 players being the only players to make the NBA, it is unlikely to work out.  The jump in rent is usually too great.

 

No one (tenant or landlord) wants a situation where it is a struggle to make ends meet.  Be cautious when accepting tenants who might not be equipped to make the big jump into the NBA.

 

Happy Landlording!