Kristian Ferrell
The idea of basketball players going directly from high school to the NBA has been a controversial topic over the years, with many people inside and outside the league staunchly opposed to the idea. Despite this, there have been several players who have made the jump successfully, including Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. In this discussion, we will explore the journeys of these players, the challenges they faced, and the impact they had on the league as we evaluate who the greatest players of this era were.
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What You'll Learn
Players who skipped college
The path to the NBA for most American players includes playing college basketball. However, some players have skipped this step and leaped straight from high school to the NBA.
Reggie Harding, who graduated from high school but did not enrol in college, became the first player drafted out of high school when the Detroit Pistons selected him in 1962. However, due to NBA rules at the time, he spent a year playing in a minor league before entering the NBA in the 1963-64 season. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the NBA's requirement that players must wait four years after high school graduation before turning professional, allowing players to enter the NBA draft without waiting four years, provided they could prove hardship.
Moses Malone was the first player 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 other high school players, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby, applied for and were granted hardship in 1975, allowing them to start their professional careers earlier. After Dawkins and Willoughby, no high schoolers were drafted for 14 years, though several players entered the league without playing college basketball, including Shawn Kemp and Kevin Garnett. Garnett became the first high school-to-NBA player drafted since Willoughby when he was selected fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995. This move was highly controversial, as the conventional wisdom at the time was that high schoolers were neither emotionally nor physically mature enough for the NBA.
From 1995 to 2005, 39 players were drafted directly out of high school, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Amar'e Stoudemire. This movement generated a lot of pushback, with many inside and outside the league staunchly opposed to the idea of high school players jumping straight to the NBA. In 2005, the league changed its rules, requiring players to go to college or at least spend a year waiting to join the league.
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The league's image
The NBA has long been concerned with its public image, and the transition of players from high school to the professional game has been a contentious issue. The league has been criticised for drafting players who are too young and immature, and there have been concerns about the number of black players in the league. The NBA has also been accused of trying to protect its image by introducing rules that require players to wait before turning professional, with some arguing that this is unfair on players who need to start earning a living.
In the early years of the NBA, players such as Connie Simmons in the 1940s, and Reggie Harding in 1962, were able to make the jump directly from high school to the professional game. However, in 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the NBA's requirement that players must wait four years after high school graduation before turning professional. This ruling allowed players to enter the NBA draft without waiting, as long as they could provide evidence of hardship.
Despite this ruling, it was not until the 1995 drafting of Kevin Garnett that the modern movement of players going straight from high school to the NBA began. From 1995 to 2005, 39 players were drafted directly out of high school, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard. However, this movement generated a lot of pushback, with many arguing that high school players were neither emotionally nor physically mature enough for the NBA.
The league eventually responded to these concerns by changing its rules to require players to go to college or wait a year before joining. This "one-and-done" generation has produced players such as Kevin Durant and Cade Cunningham, who have stopped by college campuses on their way to the league. However, there are predictions that the league will change its rules again in the coming years, allowing high school players to once again have the option to go straight to the NBA.
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Pushing back
There has been a significant amount of pushback against the idea of high school basketball players joining the NBA. This pushback has come from both inside and outside the league, with some arguing that these players are not emotionally or physically mature enough for the NBA. There were also claims that the players were "too young" and, in some cases, "too black". The league was attempting to clean up its image following several off-court incidents, and the new rules requiring players to go to college or wait a year to join the league were seen as a way to achieve that.
The debate over allowing high school players into the NBA was intense, with many arguing that the failures of those who made the leap were more noticeable than the successes. For example, players like Taj McDavid and Ellis Richardson declared for the draft but were not close to being draft-worthy, while others like Darius Miles and Ndudi Ebi flamed out after making it to the league. This added fuel to the fire for those against drafting high schoolers, despite the fact that players drafted directly from high school had, on average, longer careers than any other group.
Some have also pointed to the success of players who spent time in college before joining the NBA, such as Kevin Durant and Cade Cunningham, as evidence that the college system can help develop players and better prepare them for the league. This is particularly notable when considering players like Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby, who joined the NBA directly from high school in 1975. Neither player reached the level of success that was expected of them, and it has been argued that they may have benefited from college basketball experience first.
There were also concerns about the impact of allowing high school players to join the NBA on the college game. The college system has produced many successful NBA players, and there were worries that bypassing this step could devalue the college game and the development it provides. This led to a stand-off of sorts, with the NBA and those opposed to high school players digging in, and those in favor pointing to the success of players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett, who all made the jump successfully and became some of the top players in league history.
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The one-and-done generation
The "one-and-done" generation in basketball refers to players who attended college for a year before leaving for the NBA draft. This term came into use after the NBA made high schoolers ineligible for the draft in 2006, requiring them to wait at least a year after graduation before declaring. This phenomenon has been a source of controversy, with critics arguing that 18-year-old basketball players should have the freedom to choose between turning professional or attending college.
While some players chose to attend college, others opted for alternative routes, such as playing in the NBA G League or overseas. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Terrance Ferguson, for example, chose to play in Australia for the Adelaide 36ers instead of going to college. He has encouraged other players to follow suit, highlighting the ability to focus solely on basketball and the opportunity to get paid while playing overseas.
The one-and-done era has been a topic of ongoing debate, with some arguing that it provides benefits to players, while others question the value of spending just one year in college. Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has supported the one-and-done era, stating that the additional year has been "unbelievably beneficial" for players' development and exposure.
Despite the ongoing discussions and potential rule changes, the one-and-done generation continues to shape the path for aspiring basketball players, influencing the transition from high school or college to the professional league.
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The future of the NBA draft
The NBA draft has a long history of players being selected straight out of high school, with 41 high school draftees in total. The future of the NBA draft and the inclusion of high schoolers remains uncertain, but there are indications that the league will change its rules, and high school prospects will once again have the option to enter the NBA directly.
The debate around high school players entering the NBA is a contentious one. Some argue that players need the maturity that comes with age and college experience, citing physical and emotional readiness as essential for the rigours of the NBA. This view gained traction after several off-court incidents involving young players, with critics claiming that players were too immature and needed more time to develop the necessary life skills. The league's response to these incidents included rule changes, requiring players to attend college or wait a year before joining the NBA, in an effort to improve its image and better prepare young players for the league.
However, others disagree, stating that players should be allowed to turn professional straight out of high school if they possess the talent and ability. This group highlights the success stories of players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, who all made the jump successfully and are considered among the top players in league history. They argue that the decision should be based on an individual's skill level and readiness, rather than a blanket rule.
While the future of the NBA draft rules remains to be seen, the 2024 and 2025 drafts have already produced some notable moments and talented prospects. The 2024 draft saw the Atlanta Hawks select Zaccharie Risacher from France as the No. 1 overall pick, with 4 Frenchmen selected in the first round and a total of 15 trades made during a wild second round. The 2025 draft is also expected to be exciting, with athletic anomalies, genius-level processors, and amorphous vessels of potential across the positional spectrum. With 59 picks across two rounds, the true prize is said to be Cooper Flagg, one of the best prospects of the past decade.
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Frequently asked questions
Some players who went straight to the NBA from high school include Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, and Bill Willoughby.
Reggie Harding was the first player drafted out of high school in 1962. However, due to NBA rules at the time, he had to spend a year playing in a minor league before entering the league. Moses Malone was the first player to play professionally directly out of high school in 1974, though it was with an ABA team before the merger of that association with the NBA.
Kevin Garnett was the first high school-to-NBA player drafted since Bill Willoughby in 1975 and went on to be named to 15 All-Star teams and won a championship ring with the Boston Celtics in 2008. LeBron James and 2002 draftee Amar'e Stoudemire won the Rookie of the Year Award in their first season.
