While the NCAA continues to battle backlash over former pros seeking college eligibility, one retired NBA champion may have just thrown the wildest idea into the conversation yet. Marreese Speights, the former Warriors fan favorite better known as “Mo Buckets,” hinted that he wants back into college basketball at 38, despite spending a decade in the NBA and winning a title alongside Stephen Curry in Golden State.

Now, years after transitioning into a coaching role, Speights has grabbed a lot of attention with his latest X post. “After 18 seasons, I will be returning to Florida with two years left to play, man, after having a great conversation with @CoachToddGolden,” Mo wrote. “I’m excited to be back and have the opportunity to play again for the Florida Gators. After a long NBA career, with the new rules in place, I’ll be back on the court for the next two years,” adding laughing emojis at the end.

What made the claim even more intriguing was the timing. Speights floated the idea while debate around older, professional players entering the college game was already heating up and his comments carried just enough confidence to make fans wonder whether he was joking, serious, or somewhere in between. Either way, the former Warriors big man instantly inserted himself into one of basketball’s strangest modern conversations.

Speights last played professionally in 2021 after overseas stints in China with the Guangzhou Loong Lions, but NBA fans still remember his microwave scoring role during Golden State’s rise. As a key bench piece on the Warriors’ 2015 championship team, “Mo Buckets” built a reputation for changing games in short bursts knocking down jumpers, stretching defenses, and delivering instant offense whenever Curry and the Dubs needed it most.

Given the time of Speights’s teasing announcement and the growing debate surrounding pros returning to college, it does raise a few eyebrows. Especially, RJ Luis Jr. most recently hit the headlines after LSU reportedly signed a contract with him despite his professional career. 

After entering the NBA with a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz in the 2024-25 season, he continued his professional career with the Boston Celtics’ G-League team. 

Moreover, many coaches aren’t big fans of these arrangements. Especially, the Florida Gators coach, Todd Golden, had publicly criticized it. “When you are bringing in 25- to 26-year-olds that have been drafted and played professionally for an extended period, that’s not what college athletics is supposed to be,” Golden said as per Florida Today.

Interestingly, Mo Buckets, in his X post, wrote that he would return to the Florida Gators after his conversation with Todd Golden. It does make us wonder whether Marreese Speights was serious about his post or using it as a subtle way to protest.

What does the NCAA say about Pros returning to college basketball?

The debate intensified last year when the NCAA green-lit James Nnaji for a four-year eligibility to play college basketball despite his 2023 NBA first-round draft pick.

 NCAA president Charlie Baker later clarified via X post that the association still doesn’t allow pros who have signed an NBA or two-way contract. However, it would allow players who haven’t signed a contract. 

In Nnaji’s case, the Pistons drafted him, but the 7-foot Nigerian didn’t sign the contract. This ultimately allowed the big man to join the Baylor Bears for four years at the age of 21.

It sparked many adverse reactions in the college basketball world. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said, “If that’s what we’re going to, shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too, but shame on the NCAA because coaches are gonna do what they gotta do.”

Now, with RJ Luis Jr. reportedly allowed to play despite signing a two-way contract, it makes matters even worse. In that lens, Marreese Speights’ X post leaves us with a question of whether he could actually return to college basketball after all these years.

However, the timing of his post does send a message, especially after the recent controversial update on RJ Luis Jr.’s eligibility. And the post immediately sparked a conversation on the ongoing NCAA issue. A fan, commenting on Speight’s post, even mockingly wrote, “The NCAA is so stupid right now, I’m still not 100% sure if this is a joke or not.”