Basketball stars that entered the NBA since being a NCAA player
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the two players with the most successful careers when entering the NBA (Professional Basketball League) straight from high school.
LeBron James
LeBron James was soon famous and sought after by many NBA football teams when he was still in school. At 35, James is still the number one basketball player on the planet and averaged 25.7 points, 10.6 assists, and 7.9 rebounds after 60 games in his 17th season.
Kobe Bryant
“Hi! I’m Kobe Bryant. I decided not to go to college and dedicate my talent to the NBA,” Kobe Bryant announced on television at the age of 17. He finished his career with 33,643 points and ranked 4th on the list of players with the most points in NBA history.
Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady soon joined the NBA at the end of high school. “T-Mac” took the first 3 seasons to adapt to the tournament to reach the big star. McGrady was once considered a counterweight to Kobe Bryant in the early 2000s. However, McGrady never fully developed his potential due to serious injuries.
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett is seen as paving the way for the trend to go straight to the NBA from high school with many generations of talented players later before the tournament has set the age to participate in the draft at least 19. “For me, Garnett and Kobe paved the way for talented players to enter the NBA at the time, “recalled LeBron James.
Dwight Howard
The potential was so great that Dwight Howard became the first choice in the 2004 NBA Draft when he left high school. He developed his talent rapidly to become the rare striker in history to dominate the tournament in both attack and defense when he was at his best. Although he is no longer in top form, Howard is still considered the first-team center of the tournament.
Shawn Kemp
After a semester at Trinity Valley Community College, Shawn Kemp became an NBA player in 1989. Kemp is still counted as a player in the NBA since high school because he never played a single match for Trinity Valley at NCAA. (student basketball tournament system with many levels of America). During the prime of his career, Kemp was the NBA’s top main striker (PF) with six All-Star appearances.