Other industries don't work like this;

What do you mean by "other industries"? The only thing comparable to the NBA would be the NFL and the MLB, both of which have restrictions on how players can enter the draft.

The thing is, these kids have been living with their parents their entire life, and a vast majority of them live under, at the very most, middle class household conditions. Kids need to grow up and mature to a point where they can understand how to responsibly handle the millions of dollars that is thrown at them. Going through a college lifestyle helps because it serves as a way to ween yourself away from your parents.

There are going to be kids who are incredibly mature for there age, but there are plenty of kids who aren't. Read the Grantland article on the divergent careers of Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler. Even though Tyson was very mature for his age, and gave everything he got for his team, he never really performed that well until he went to New Orleans. When he was in the Bulls, he never had the experience that allowed him interact with his teammates and figure out his identity as a basketball player. Chicago drafted him thinking that he'd end up being a big man who can shoot jumpers like Kevin Garnett.

Then there's Eddy Curry, who threw money at anyone who was able to convince him that they were related to him.

I understand that there may be players players like Kobe, who have the work ethic to become the best at what they do despite their shortcomings, but a lot of people can't stomach two airballs in the last seconds of a playoff game.

If kids really need to start supporting their families, then they can go to the D-League or Europe, and develop their game there. The D-League has become a great resource for teams. The NBA needs to do what will make its teams more competitive.