His problem is NBA Commissioner David Stern.

It only seems fitting that Vaccaro’s newest beef is with the head of the NBA. As ESPN’s Ric Bucher once wrote, Vaccaro is “the man responsible for the most points, rebounds, assists and highlight plays in NBA history.”

The 66-year-old Italian is oft-referred to as the Godfather of grass roots basketball. He’s been proliferating high school basketball since 1965, when he began the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. An invitation to Vaccaro’s high school all-star game was the highest accolade for any athlete with ambitions to play at the next level.

Now, word has it that Stern wants every NBA representative – scouts, GMs, anyone of League association – out of high school gyms.

If Stern gets his way, NBA teams will know just as much as the common fan about any high school player – which is basically just hyped hearsay. This is why the most influential man in all of high school basketball is speaking out.

And when Sonny Vaccaro talks, everyone listens…

Stop. Fast-forward about six years into the future. Pause.

****

Ask Tha Gym Rat about any player, and I’ll give you his low down AND down low. I’ll explain how it is with nothing but the cold, hard facts.

If your guy just doesn’t have game enough, that’s exactly what Tha Gym Rat’ll tell you (I even have tissues if you need to cry afterwards). If your guy has so much talent they might as well change his middle name to Benjamin, I’m happy to declare his reign…like Tha Gym Rat did for O.J. Mayo before the 2008 draft!

And the best part is, I’m doing this completely out of the goodness of my heart and for the advancement of all mankind.

Heck, just to prove Tha Gym Rat’s recruiting prowess, I’ll even tell you about Srecko Vukosavlevic, a Serbian in the 2011 Reebok ABCD Camp. Straight up, dude’s a gem. No scratch that, a diamond in the rough. Why? Because he comes from thousands of miles away, and has game tighter than a Jessica Simpson skirt.

I know, I know. Everyone thinks twice (well, maybe six or seven times) before they believe something good about an international player (hey, if Joe Dumars would’ve read even ONE of Tha Gym Rat’s countless emails about warning him about Darko this wouldn’t be happening). But, I’m telling you now, Vukosavlevic’s smooth J and lock-down D are going to make him a household name in the very near future.

Tha Gym Rat guarantee!

He’ll be the new millennium Mikan. Vukosavlevic vs. Knicks. He’ll be the new sheriff of Orlando, LA and Miami (note the Diesel reference, I see you big guy!).

He’s 6’11 ¾’’ without shoes and still growing (because word is he’s four years younger than his declared age of 18). Srecko already has the prototypical body for an NBA center. His wingspan is almost funny the way he struts around like Chewbacca (except his hair looks a bit darker, of course)!

His game intelligence is astonishing. With and without the ball, he moves like a snake (which Tha Gym Rat hears is very popular in Serbia). Once Vukosavlevic dishes the rock, he almost instantaneously loses his defender, gone in the labyrinth of bodies.

Like most international ballers, Vukosavlevic has a deadly touch from the outside. Tha Gym Rat saw him in the Israeli league playoffs (10 games), average 34 points and 19 boards (76% FG, 54% 3P) in only 23 minutes.

When he’s guarded tightly on the perimeter, Srecko uses his slashing skills and his great first step. One second, Tha Gym Rat’s asking why he’s posting up by the 3-point arc, the next second, Vukosavlevic's completing a spectacular dunk after taking only two strides (Vukosavlevic plays like Larry Johnson after he became a Monstar)!

So, there’s always that one question for Tha Gym Rat: If he’s as great as you tell me, why hasn’t anyone heard of him yet?

It’s because he’s white.

Tha Gym Rat says, Go get him NBA!

Stop. Rewind way back…past Sonny Vaccaro’s quote. Pause.

*****

It’s a scary thing, what the NBA could turn into.

With the new age minimum, the NBA Draft will undoubtedly pack more one-and-done college players than ever before. There’s already strong League sentiment that NBA teams need more than one year to sufficiently evaluate a player. Without the ability to scout Vaccaro’s ABCD Camp and various other high school events, the NBA would be disadvantaged with incomplete player growth charts.

The role of the online “recruiting guru” could become much more important if Stern gets his way. Sites like Collegehoopsnet.com could be great sources for All-American camp information, but what else can be trusted? Will these online resources be enough to grasp a player’s ability and potential?

Can NBA teams trust non-league affiliated “experts” who may realistically know more about pink highlighters than basketball prospects? Will teams gamble on the stud college freshman, hoping the season wasn’t a fluke?

Will great players get slept on because they haven’t had proper evaluation time? As it is now, finding any information – reliable information, much less – about these camps is a daunting task.

Sitting in my backyard right now, I would know.

Sonny Vaccaro has a message for the NBA. His problem is that Commissioner David Stern is not seeing a problem. Vaccaro’s not just looking out for his own kids, but also for all 30 NBA teams.

Scouts need access to all high school events, maybe not the same up-close access as college coaches, but some access nonetheless. The NBA and its players would be better off for it.

That’s why Vaccaro’s newest beef is with the head of the NBA.

Play. “I would want [NBA scouts] here more,” Sonny Vaccaro said. “I think the summer time and camps are different than going to high school gyms. Keep them out of the high schools, or even the McDonald’s game, but they’ll be limiting themselves as to the quality of athlete they’ll get.”

Tha Gym Rat guarantee!