Lament the sprained right knee of Duke’s Zion Williamson and what it might mean for both him and the Blue Devils if he can’t bounce back right away.

Mourn the drop in price of your shares of Nike stock, if you are so inclined.

But don’t expect the freak injury that befell Williamson in Wednesday’s game to bring about a swift change in the so-called one-and-done rule that all but requires talented freshman to play at least one season of college basketball before raking in the big money in the NBA.

Or bring about a sharing of the riches with the players who help earn them for their well-heeled colleges.

What happened to Williamson, the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, due to an apparent sneaker malfunction as mouthed by former President Barack Obama at courtside, has re-heated the debate about whether freshmen should be allowed to go straight to the NBA from high school, bypassing college.

The thinking is that if Williamson had the opportunity to jump to the NBA as an 18-year-old right out of high school in Spartanburg, S.C., he would have taken it and been secure in a guaranteed multi-million-dollar contract, injury or no injury — something colleges, even well-endowed ones such as Duke, hauling in millions in TV rights, ticket sales and sponsorships, are not permitted to provide in the present NCAA structure.

(For his part, Williamson said in interviews with Andy Katz of NCAA.com last month that the plan had been to play a year or two of college before seeking a paycheck).

Those who have the game for it absolutely should be allowed to ply their trade at the NBA level, if they so choose. If you can do it in Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League or dozens of other fields and courts of endeavor, why not the NBA?

That shouldn’t be something the NBA, with a tacit nod from the NCAA and acquiescence of the players union, gets to decide.

Not that many will have the requisite abilities to make such an immediate leap. As history reminds us, for every LeBron James or Kobe Bryant there are plenty of Korleone Youngs and Robert Swifts.

But those who deign to pursue it should be free to cash in — or fall flat on their mugs — if they can find somebody to sign on with.

It was a delayed response after James’ 2003 arrival in the league and the failure of other hopefuls that helped prompt the NBA to implement the one-and-done policy.

What is written into the NBA-NBPA collective bargaining agreement is the NBA’s deal, not the NCAA’s. Though you can see why the NCAA wouldn’t be inclined to put up a fight when you see the TV rights fees it and its membership bank every year. The NCAA’s only real opposition to the one-and-done is likely that it wants to realize more from its investment.

The rewards are also handsome for the NBA, which has colleges to develop players and generate box office appeal before they arrive in the pros.

Under the current CBA, which expires after the 2023-24 season, a player must be at least 19 and a year removed from the high school class graduation to be selected in the NBA Draft. The alternatives are to sign on with an overseas pro league or join an NBA developmental league.

Ideally a year or more of college would broaden a player’s horizons and aid maturity, but the truth is that, for some, it is an indifferent way station on an intended path to the pros.

Something the powers that be are still loath to change.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.