Up until 2006, kids as young as 18 years old and straight out of high school were allowed to supersede the college ranks in favor of entering the NBA. This is not new news to older NBA fans as we have seen numerous stars take this route and go on to have massively successful and Hall of Fame careers. Names like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant come to mind first, while others had great careers but fly under the radar compared to those two. Now, the rules have changed, and all players declaring for the NBA Draft must be one year removed from high school, whether that be spent in the NCAA or another league like the Overtime Elite.
The list of NBA stars that have become all-time greats right from high school may shock you. For most of the month of March, we intermittently celebrated the NBA players who also enjoyed great college careers, as well as some of the biggest busts who ever went from college to the NBA. Today, we would like to celebrate the players who were good enough to make the NBA at an ever younger age and sustain long and impactful playing careers at the next level. They are the players who defied all odds and didn’t become just another statistical failure.
These are the 10 greatest NBA players that entered the league straight out of high school.
10. Rashard Lewis
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Achievements: 2x All-Star
Rashard Lewis was a highly-rated star out of Alief-Elsik High School in Texas that graduated in 1998. Being the number one ranked player in all of Texas, Lewis was highly recruited by schools such as Florida State and Kansas. Lewis would instead opt for the NBA route and be deemed a bit too raw to be considered for the first round. Instead, he was drafted 32nd overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1998 NBA Draft, which worked out pretty well for him in the long run.
It took two seasons of adjustment, but by his third season, Lewis was a starter for Seattle, averaging close to 15.0 PPG. He was a talented three-level scorer who could knock down shots from three better than most small forwards in the NBA during the 2000s. Lewis would go on to earn two All-Star appearances with the SuperSonic and Magic while appearing in a total of three NBA Finals, with one championship toward the end of his career in Miami. Lewis ranks in the top 25 for three-pointers made in NBA history and was among the initial influx of stretch forwards to hit the NBA during the 2000s.
9. Tyson Chandler
Credit: Kevin Jaira-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 8.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Defensive Player Of The Year, 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection
The beginning of Tyson Chandler’s NBA career with the Chicago Bulls can be a perfect example of the challenges a young man faces when entering the NBA out of high school. Chandler was considered one of the best high school prospects ever during his time at Dominguez High School in Compton, California. Chandler would be an All-American by the time he was a junior and began to draw interest from several big schools as he averaged 26.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, and 8.0 BPG as a senior.
In 2001, Chandler found himself selected second overall by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Draft. He struggled to make an impact as the team began to rebuild after the departure of their championship core of the 90s. It took a few seasons for Chandler to find a role, but eventually, he became one of the most impactful interior defenders in the game. In 2011, he helped anchor Dallas’ interior defense as they won their first NBA championship. In 2012, he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors with the Knicks and an All-Star appearance in 2013 as well. Despite not being very dominant offensively, Chandler found himself having a solid 19-year NBA career with the Bulls, Hornets, Mavericks, Knicks, Suns, Lakers, and Rockets.
8. Jermaine O’Neal
Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.8 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Most Improved Player, 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection
I think everyone can agree that Jermaine O’Neal is one of the most underrated players of the 2000s as far as accolades and production go. O’Neal was one of the highest-rated high school players in the nation out of Eau Claire High School in South Carolina in 1996. O’Neal would win several individual statistics during his senior years that saw him average 22.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, and 5.2 BPG. He earned All-American honors as well as being named “Mr.Basketball” for the state of South Carolina.
O’Neal was selected 17th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, a class that included another high school star, Kobe Bryant, as well as Allen Iverson and Ray Allen, among others. O’Neal would struggle to crack the Portland rotation and be traded to the Pacers in 2000. He would win the Most Improved Player award in 2002 with Indiana and be selected to six straight All-Star games with them as one of the best two-way bigs in the game. He would also earn three All-NBA team selections with the Pacers and averaged 18.6 PPG and 9.6 RPG over eight seasons with the team. O’Neal would enjoy an 18-year career with seven teams from 1996 thru 2014.
7. Amar’e Stoudemire
Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 18.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Rookie Of The Year, 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Team Selection
For someone who didn’t start playing organized basketball until they were 14 years old, I would say Amar’e Stoudemire turned out just fine. Stoudemire moved all over Florida and elsewhere during high school, trying to find the right fits amid schools closing and other outside interference. Stoudmire would eventually settle on Cypress Creek High School in Orlando, where he became an All-American as a senior, averaging 29.1 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.1 SPG, and 6.1 BPG. Did I mention that his senior year was just his second full season of organized basketball?
In the 2002 NBA Draft, Stoudemire would be selected 12th overall by the Phoenix Suns and immediately thrust into their starting power forward role at 20 years old. Stoudemire would win Rookie of the Year honors in his first season averaging 13.5 PPG and 8.8 RPG. Stoudemire would earn the first All-Star selection of his career two years later, an honor he would receive a total of six times in his career. In his 14-year career with the Suns, Knicks, and Mavericks, he would earn five All-NBA Team selections on top of the six All-Stars and Rookie of the Year.
6. Tracy McGrady
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Most Improved Player, 7x All-Star, 7x All-NBA Team Selection
Everyone knows Tracy McGrady as the super-talented and electric scorer he was at his peak in the NBA. Before he scorched San Antonio for 13 points in 30 seconds, McGrady attended Auburndale High School in Florida for three years and his senior year at Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina. Heading into his final year of high school, McGrady made a name for himself at several camps and tournaments around the country. Eventually, he was ranked as the nation’s number one prospect, who averaged 27.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 7.7 APG, and 2.0 BPG.
McGrady decided to forego college and declare for the NBA Draft. He was selected ninth overall by the Raptors but was not a big part of their plans in his first season. He would play three seasons in Toronto before requesting a trade that landed him in Orlando, where he became a four-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion. He would also play six seasons in Houston, where he earned three more All-Star selections. Overall, McGrady became a Hall of Famer with seven All-Star selections, seven All-NBA Team selections, and the 2001 Most Improved Player award.
5. Dwight Howard
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 15.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.8 BPG
Career Achievements: 3x Defensive Player Of The Year, 8x All-Star, 8x All-NBA Team Selection, 5x All-Defensive Team Selection
Dwight Howard was destined to be great at a young age. His father was the athletic director at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in Atlanta, where he had one of the best basketball programs in the country. Howard was already a larger-than-life physical presence in high school but showed the quickness and versatility to play guard as well. Howard would average 25.0 PPG, 18.0 RPG, and 8.1 BPG as a senior and be named the National High School Basketball Player of the Year for his efforts.
After foregoing his college eligibility, Howard was selected number one overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. Howard would help put the Magic back on the map during the 2000s as he became the best defensive player in basketball and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He led the Magic to an NBA Finals in 2009 and would finally win an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020. Overall, Howard earned eight All-Star selections, five rebounding titles, two blocks titles, eight All-NBA Team selections, and five All-Defensive team selections in his career, and his peak is still highly regarded today by all who were present for it.
4. Kevin Garnett
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 17.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x MVP, 1x Defensive Player Of The Year, 15x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 9x All-NBA Team Selection, 12x All-Defensive Team Selection
Kevin Garnett is a Hall of Fame basketball player and Hall of Fame trash-talker who had a legendary 21-year career from 1996 thru 2016. Before entering the NBA, Garnett was an accomplished high school player at Farragut Career Academy in Chicago. Garnett was named an All-American during his senior year and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1995 McDonald’s High School All-American Game that same year.
Due to academic limitations and believing he was good enough to compete at the highest level, Garnett declared for the 1996 NBA Draft right out of high school. He would be selected fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett proved to be a Swiss Army knife on the court, doing everything at an elite level. In 2004, he was named MVP and led Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals. In 2008 with the Celtics, he would win Defensive Player of the Year and help lead them to their first NBA championship since 1986. Overall, he was a 15-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA Team selection, and 12-time All-Defensive Team selection.
3. Moses Malone
Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG
Career Achievements: 1x Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 13x All-Star, 8x All-NBA Team Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection
Moses Malone is one of the greatest yet underrated players in NBA history. Malone grew up in Petersburg, Virginia, where he led his high school team to new records on the state level. Petersburg’s Crimson Wave didn’t lose a single game over Malone’s final two seasons and won back-to-back state championships. After high school, Malone skipped college despite signing a letter of intent to play at the University of Maryland. He was selected fourth overall by the Utah Stars in the 1974 ABA Draft and would not make his NBA debut until 1976.
After two games with the Buffalo Braves, Malone was traded to the Rockets, where he would win two MVP awards and lead them to an NBA Finals in 1981. Malone would then make his way to Philadelphia in 1983, when he would win an MVP, championship, and Finals MVP in his first season with the team. Malone grabbed the most offensive rebounds in NBA history as well as 13 All-Star selections, eight All-NBA Team selections, six rebound titles, and two All-Defensive Team selections.
2. Kobe Bryant
Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Achievements: 2x Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 18x All-Star, 4x All-Star Game MVP, 15x All-NBA Team Selection, 12x All-Defensive Team Selection
Kobe Bryant was a global icon to basketball fans and players everywhere during the 2000s and 2010s. Bryant quickly became one of the best basketball players in the nation when he got to Lower Merion High in 1992. Over his final three years of school, Bryant’s team amassed a 77-13 record, with Bryant on track for an NBA career shortly. During his senior season, Bryant won every individual award in the book and the decision was made for him to go to the NBA despite interest from every top college in the country.
When he got to the NBA, it took a few seasons for him to adjust to the speed of the game. Once he did, the Lakers took off and three-peated as NBA champions from 2000-2002. Bryant would win a total of five NBA championships in his career as well as two Finals MVP awards and an MVP award in 2008. Kobe would earn the most All-Defensive Team selections by a guard with 12 during his career as well as 15 All-Star selections and 15 All-NBA Team selections, having spent his entire 20 years in the NBA with the Lakers.
1. LeBron James
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 27.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Career Achievements: 4x Finals MVP, 4x MVP, 1x Rookie Of The Year, 19x All-Star, 3x All-Star Game MVP, 18x All-NBA Team Selection, 6x All-Defensive Team Selection
Before we even started this list, the entire NBA community knew who was going to be number one. LeBron James was the most hyped high school basketball player ever, with ESPN showing his games during nationally scheduled slots as well as Sports Illustrated having him on the cover of their magazine while still in high school. After dominating the ranks at St. Vincent St. Mary’s, there was no other choice for LeBron other than to join the NBA.
James would go first to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft, and his legacy had begun. After cruising to Rookie of the Year honors, James would not capture his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat until 2012. James would go on to win four NBA championships in 10 Finals appearances with the Heat, Cavaliers, and Lakers. James is a four-time Finals MVP as well as a four-time MVP over the last two decades. James has earned 19 All-Star selections, 18 All-NBA Team selections, and six All-Defensive Team selections during his career and has become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer while ranking top 10 in assists as well.
Source: fadeawayworld
