NBA high school draftees explained

The NBA high school draftees are players who have been drafted to the National Basketball Association (NBA) straight out of high school. The process of jumping directly from high school basketball to the professional level is also known as going prep-to-pro. Since 2006, drafting high school players has been prohibited by the NBA collective bargaining agreement, which requires that players who enter the draft be 19 years of age or older and at least one year removed from high school.[1]

The NBA has long had a preference for players who played college basketball,[2] and the vast majority of players who play in the NBA attended college beforehand. Out of the thousands of people who have played in the NBA, only forty-one went prep-to-pro, not including international players.

History

Early years

In the early years of the NBA draft, a player had to finish his four-year college eligibility to be eligible for selection. Reggie Harding, who had graduated from high school but did not enroll in a college, became the first player drafted out of high school when the Detroit Pistons selected him in the fourth round of the 1962 draft.[3] However, the NBA rules at that time prohibited a high school player to play in the league until one year after his high school class graduated.[4] [5] Thus, he spent a year playing in a minor league before he was re-drafted in the 1963 draft by the Pistons.[6] He finally entered the league in the 1963–64 season and played four seasons in the NBA and American Basketball Association (ABA).[7]

In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decision Haywood v. National Basketball Association ruled against the NBA's requirement that a player must wait four years after high school graduation (which in most cases was spent playing in college) before turning professional. This ruling allowed players to enter the NBA draft without waiting four years,[8] provided they could give evidence of hardship to the NBA office.[9] The NBA's rival, the ABA, had already instituted a hardship exemption in 1969.[10] [11]

Moses Malone was the first to play professionally directly out of high school in 1974, though with an ABA team before the merger of that association with the NBA. Two high school players, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby, applied for hardship and were declared eligible for the 1975 draft.[12] They had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning a living by starting their professional careers earlier.[9] Dawkins was selected 5th by the Philadelphia 76ers while Willoughby was selected 19th by the Atlanta Hawks. Dawkins played 14 seasons and averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. Willoughby played 8 seasons with 6 different teams and averaged only 6 points per game. Neither player reached the level of success that was expected. It is argued that they could have been better players if they had college basketball experience before entering the NBA.[13] [14] [15]

After Dawkins and Willoughby, no high schoolers were drafted for 14 years, though several players entered the league without playing college basketball. One player, Shawn Kemp, enrolled in college but never played any games due to personal problems. In 1989, a year after his high school graduation, he was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics.[16] He played 14 seasons in the NBA and was selected to 6 All-Star Games and 3 All-NBA Teams.[17]

1995–2005

In 1995, Kevin Garnett, USA Todays high school basketball player of the year, announced his intentions to forgo college, and declared himself eligible for the 1995 NBA draft. The move was highly controversial; the conventional wisdom at the time was that high-schoolers were neither emotionally nor physically mature enough for the rigors of the NBA game. On draft day, Garnett was selected with the #5 pick in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett led the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff berths and made 10 All-Star teams in his 12 years with the team. In 2004, the Wolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Lakers; Garnett was named Most Valuable Player that year. After a trade in the 2007 offseason to the Boston Celtics, he was a core player in the Celtics' first NBA title in over 20 years.

In 1996, two notable players made the jump from high school to the NBA. The first was Kobe Bryant, selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick of the NBA draft, but traded almost immediately to the Los Angeles Lakers. The second was Jermaine O'Neal, selected by the Trail Blazers with the 17th pick. O'Neal was traded in 2000 to the Indiana Pacers (and later to the Miami Heat). In 1997, another All-Star caliber player, Tracy McGrady, was selected by the Toronto Raptors. In 1998, three high-schoolers were drafted with Al Harrington and Rashard Lewis experiencing the most success. Darius Miles became the highest high school player selected with the third pick in the 2000 NBA draft, until the following year when Kwame Brown was selected first overall. Further into the 2000s, draftees out of high school who would see success in the NBA included Tyson Chandler in 2001, Amar'e Stoudemire in 2002, LeBron James and Kendrick Perkins in 2003, Dwight Howard and Shaun Livingston in 2004, and Andrew Bynum in 2005.

2005–present

In 2005, both the NBA and the players' union started to discuss the possibility of implementing a new age requirement. The league lobbied for an age minimum of 20 while the union was against an age requirement.[18] Finally in July 2005, both sides compromised in the new collective bargaining agreement, requiring that the minimum age for entry into the NBA be 19 and that entrants be at least one year removed from high school.[19]

Some players support the new age limit. Gerald Green called it "a smart move", saying that "[not everybody is] LeBron James ... He came in ready and he dominated the league. There's a lot of players that have to get developed. Me, I've got to get developed. But I guess that age limit, that one year of college experience, can get you more developed and I think that's pretty good."[18] Others, however, strongly criticize the rule. Andrew Bynum said "That's something I'll never understand. Because in no other business can the owner, or a stock trader, or a CEO of a company try to protect themselves by putting rules like that."[20] Former Florida Gators and current Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan believed that the rule made high schoolers feel like they were being punished.[21] Spencer Haywood, the plaintiff in the Haywood v. National Basketball Association decision, supported an age limit of 20, allowing players time to mature. He left college after his sophomore season to play in the ABA.[22]

List

There have been 41 high school draftees in the NBA draft. Three draftees were selected first overall; Kwame Brown in the 2001 NBA draft, LeBron James in 2003, and Dwight Howard in the 2004 NBA draft. Two draftees went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in their first season: LeBron James and 2002 draftee Amar'e Stoudemire.[23] Three draftees went on to win the Most Valuable Player Award: Kevin Garnett in, Kobe Bryant in, and LeBron James in,,, and .[24] Ten draftees have been selected to the All-Star Game and ten draftees have been selected to the All-NBA Team.

Pos.GFC
PositionGuardForwardCenter
DraftRoundPickPlayerPos.NationalityDraft teamHigh school (city)Ref.
197515CPhiladelphia 76ersMaynard Evans High School (Orlando, Florida)[25]
219FAtlanta HawksDwight Morrow High School (Englewood, New Jersey)[26]
199515^FMinnesota TimberwolvesFarragut Career Academy (Chicago, Illinois)[27]
1996113^GCharlotte HornetsLower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)[28]
17F/CPortland Trail BlazersEau Claire High School (Columbia, South Carolina)[29]
199719^FToronto RaptorsMount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina)[30]
1998125FIndiana PacersSt. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, New Jersey)[31]
232+FSeattle SuperSonicsAlief Elsik High School (Houston, Texas)[32]
40FDetroit PistonsHargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia)[33]
199915FToronto RaptorsPicayune Memorial High School (Picayune, Mississippi)[34]
29CDallas MavericksMartin Luther King High School (Chicago)[35]
200013FLos Angeles ClippersEast St. Louis High School (East St. Louis, Illinois)[36]
23GUtah JazzWashington Union High School (Fresno, California)[37]
200111FWashington WizardsGlynn Academy (Brunswick, Georgia)[38]
2CLos Angeles ClippersDominguez High School (Compton, California)[39]
4CChicago BullsThornwood High School (South Holland, Illinois)[40]
8CCleveland CavaliersOak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)[41]
246FDenver NuggetsSt. Jude High School (Montgomery, Alabama)[42]
200219F/CPhoenix SunsCypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida)[43]
200311FCleveland CavaliersSt. Vincent – St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio)[44]
23FPortland Trail BlazersStarkville High School (Starkville, Mississippi)[45]
26F
Minnesota TimberwolvesWestbury Christian School (Houston, Texas)[46]
27CMemphis GrizzliesClifton J. Ozen High School (Beaumont, Texas)[47]
248CNew Orleans HornetsCentral Park Christian High School (Birmingham, Alabama)[48]
200411F/COrlando MagicSouthwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Atlanta, Georgia)[49]
4GLos Angeles ClippersPeoria High School (Peoria, Illinois)[50]
12CSeattle SuperSonicsBakersfield High School (Bakersfield, California)[51]
13GPortland Trail BlazersAbraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, New York)[52]
15FBoston CelticsPrentiss High School (Prentiss, Mississippi)[53]
17FAtlanta HawksOak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)[54]
18GNew Orleans HornetsSaint Benedict's Preparatory School (Newark, New Jersey)[55]
19G/FMiami HeatSouth Kent Preparatory School (South Kent, Connecticut)[56]
200516G/FPortland Trail BlazersSeattle Preparatory School (Seattle, Washington)[57]
10+CLos Angeles LakersSt. Joseph High School (Metuchen, New Jersey)[58]
18FBoston CelticsGulf Shores Academy (Houston, Texas)[59]
234GUtah JazzSkyline High School (Dallas, Texas)[60]
35FPortland Trail BlazersIMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)[61]
40GGolden State WarriorsLanier High School (Jackson, Mississippi)[62]
45GPhiladelphia 76ersSouth Gwinnett High School (Snellville, Georgia)[63]
49F
Washington WizardsSouth Kent Preparatory School (South Kent, Connecticut)[64]
56FDetroit PistonsWestchester High School (Los Angeles, California)[65]

Controversy

Despite the success of some high school players drafted, the entry of high school players into the NBA remains controversial. Critics say that high school players are not mentally and physically mature or prepared enough to handle the pressure of professional play; thus, they are less likely to develop properly and reach their potential.[15] [66] Instead, they believe that colleges are useful at filtering out players who can dominate against weak competition in high school, but cannot succeed at a higher level of play. They also think that the influx of high schoolers bypassing colleges in favor of the NBA caused collegiate play to deteriorate. Universities are wary of spending time recruiting, as many players are financially motivated to turn pro fresh out of high school.[66] [67]

On the other hand, proponents argue that there is no valid reason to exclude high school players. Michael McCann, writer of law article "Illegal Defense: The Irrational Economics of Banning High School Players from the NBA Draft", contends that players drafted straight out of high school can do as well as any other players in the NBA. The article finds that "on average, these [high school] players perform better in every major statistical category than does the average NBA player".[68] Others instead believe that the problem was due to the lack of established farm system in basketball until recently. In other major sports, such as baseball and hockey, it is common for young players to develop in their minor league systems.[66]

Discourses on the validity of high-school players entering the NBA directly, bypassing college, have also been impacted by the recent legalization of name, image and likeness deals by the NCAA, which allow collegiate athletes to profit from sponsorship deals. This has effectively reduced the financial incentives that basketball players have to move directly to the NBA from high school by allowing colleges and their boosters to compensate players.[69] In addition, it has decreased some players' propensity to enter the NBA as soon as possible after playing one year in college, leading to them staying in school for multiple years to capitalize on NIL deals they make money from. This trend is especially noticeable in players who do not project as well to the NBA but are collegiate stars, such as Drew Timme of Gonzaga, who stated that his NIL earnings were comparable to the NBA two-way contract he was likely to sign once he turned professional. [70]

See also

Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nance. Roscoe. Teen draftees grounded until 19 under new deal. USA Today. June 21, 2005. July 28, 2010.
  2. News: Knight. Athelia. NBA Ponders New League; It Would Develop College-Age Players. The Washington Post. March 23, 2000. D1. 13 October 2020.
  3. News: Royals Snap Up Lucas. March 27, 1962. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. July 28, 2010.
  4. News: Pistons Can't Use 7-Foot Prep. Lawrence Journal-World. July 3, 1962. July 28, 2010.
  5. Web site: Doesn't the Extra Year Help Teams?. Dan. Hilton. July 14, 2008. July 28, 2010. NBA.com/Suns. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.
  6. News: This Game Called What's The Name. January 7, 1963. Toledo Blade. July 28, 2010.
  7. Web site: Reggie Harding Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 28, 2010.
  8. News: William C.. Rhoden. Early Entry? One and Done? Thank Spencer Haywood for the Privilege. June 29, 2016. The New York Times. May 29, 2022.
  9. Web site: Spencer Haywood Bio. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 28, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100901171704/http://www.nba.com/history/players/haywood_bio.html. September 1, 2010.
  10. News: Gilbert. McGregor. Spencer Haywood: The story of a groundbreaking NBA legend, through his words. April 22, 2021. Sporting News. May 29, 2022.
  11. News: Nick. Kosmider. Fifty years later, it's time for Denver to give Spencer Haywood his due. September 26, 2019. The Athletic. subscription. May 29, 2022. But they had a hardship exception, and Haywood, whose mother raised 10 children while making $2 per day picking cotton in Mississippi, met the criteria..
  12. News: Burden, Dantley top list. May 9, 1975. Lawrence Journal-World. July 28, 2010.
  13. Web site: Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers. Chris. Broussard. November 16, 2003. The New York Times. July 28, 2010.
  14. Hoop Dream. Jack. McCallum. June 26, 1995. Sports Illustrated. July 28, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100116053933/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1006749/2/index.htm. January 16, 2010. dead.
  15. Web site: Garnett Is No Gem For NBA. Michael. James. March 22, 1995. Daily News. July 28, 2010.
  16. Web site: Shawn Kemp Bio . NBA.com . Turner Sports Interactive, Inc . July 28, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040215185218/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shawn_kemp/bio.html . February 15, 2004 .
  17. Web site: Shawn Kemp Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 28, 2010.
  18. Web site: Draft Will Close Book on High School Stars. The New York Times. June 28, 2005. August 8, 2010. Howard. Beck.
  19. Web site: NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement Ratified and Signed. July 30, 2005. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 28, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101202233937/http://www.nba.com/news/CBA_050730.html. December 2, 2010. dead.
  20. News: Few High School Stars Expected to Follow European Detour to N.B.A. . . July 12, 2009. August 8, 2010. Pete. Thamel . Pete Thamel .
  21. Web site: Growing to Appreciate the N.B.A.'s Age Limit. The New York Times. March 20, 2007. August 8, 2010. William C.. Rhoden.
  22. News: Haywood: Age limit 'would give players time to mature'. May 14, 2005. ESPN. Associated Press. May 29, 2022.
  23. Web site: Rookie of the Year. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 28, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100329231204/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_rookieofyear.html. March 29, 2010. dead.
  24. Web site: Most Valuable Player. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 28, 2010.
  25. Web site: Darryl Dawkins Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  26. Web site: Bill Willoughby Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  27. Web site: Kevin Garnett Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  28. Web site: Kobe Bryant Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  29. Web site: Jermaine O'Neal Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  30. Web site: Tracy McGrady Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  31. Web site: Al Harrington Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  32. Web site: Rashard Lewis Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  33. Web site: Korleone Young Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  34. Web site: Jonathan Bender Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  35. Web site: Leon Smith Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  36. Web site: Darius Miles Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  37. Web site: DeShawn Stevenson Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  38. Web site: Kwame Brown Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  39. Web site: Tyson Chandler Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  40. Web site: Eddy Curry Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  41. Web site: DeSagana Diop Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  42. Web site: Player Profile: Ousmane Cisse. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 19, 2010.
  43. Web site: Amare Stoudemire Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  44. Web site: LeBron James Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  45. Web site: Travis Outlaw Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  46. Web site: Ndubi Ebi Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  47. Web site: Kendrick Perkins Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  48. Web site: James Lang Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  49. Web site: Dwight Howard Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  50. Web site: Shaun Livingston Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  51. Web site: Robert Swift Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  52. Web site: Sebastian Telfair Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  53. Web site: Al Jefferson Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  54. Web site: Josh Smith Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  55. Web site: J.R. Smith Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  56. Web site: Dorell Wright Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  57. Web site: Martell Webster Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  58. Web site: Andrew Bynum Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  59. Web site: Gerald Green Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  60. Web site: C. J. Miles Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  61. Web site: Fifty Early Entry Candidates Withdraw. June 22, 2005. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20070427173309/http://www.nba.com/draft2005/early_050622.html. April 27, 2007. dead.
  62. Web site: Monta Ellis Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  63. Web site: Louis Williams Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  64. Web site: Andray Blatche Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  65. Web site: Amir Johnson Statistics. basketball-reference.com. July 19, 2010.
  66. News: Sappenfield. Mark. Straight to the NBA--without a stop at college. Christian Science Monitor. May 22, 2001. Vol. 93, Issue 124, p. 1.
  67. Web site: Freeman. Mike. Sports of The Times; Young Star Stays Cool in Spotlight. The New York Times. August 8, 2010. April 5, 2002.
  68. News: Ewell. Christian. Difficult jump shot: preps to NBA; Basketball: More and more try the leap, but for every LeBron James who flourishes, there are a lot of James Langs who don't. The Baltimore Sun. May 18, 2004. 1 C.
  69. Web site: Hirsh . Ryan . 2024-01-07 . NIL Impacting Student Athletes' Decisions to Return or Go Pro . 2024-02-23 . Business of College Sports® . en-US.
  70. Web site: Christovich . Amanda . 2023-06-22 . Men's Hoops Players Are Staying In School Longer Thanks to NIL . 2024-02-23 . Front Office Sports . en.

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