How Many High School Stars Make it in the NBA?

High school is usually a good time for potential NBA stars to be scouted out, so high school players focus on their skills and ability as if they are already professional players. It’s something they have to do if they want to have a chance at being picked out from the crowd, especially when the NBA pool is so large at the high school level.

With the rise in popularity of social media, people can become sensations literally overnight thanks to platforms such as YouTube and even TikTok. Those with passion are sure to have played from an early age, and if their skills have made it onto YouTube, then their NBA Odds might be increased if trainers can see their potential skills developing over the years. Although the NBA might have temporarily stopped the notion of drafting players out of high school, there have still been some megastar high-school-drafted sensations over the years. To see how many players were drafted out of high school and made it into the NBA other than just LeBron James, keep reading below!

1. LeBron James

LeBron James is one of the most significant and well-known players in the history of the NBA, and with good reason. To give you an idea of just how big of a deal he is, James managed to sign a multiple-million dollar shoe deal before he had even played his first professional game, and his son seems to be following in his footsteps.

Along with LeBron James, the 2003 draft was considered to have the biggest talent pool in the history of the NBA, so it was definitely a good year to be drafted! Over the span of his career, he earned the Most Valuable Player Award as well as the NBA Finals MVP in 2012, 2013, and 2016, showing that he is an all-rounder as well as a consistent player.

2. Travis Outlaw

Another player from the same batch as LeBron James from the ‘03 NBA draft, Travis Outlaw was also drafted straight out of high school, skipping college in favor of his NBA career.

In high school, Outlaw played for the Starkville Yellowjackets, which may have been the reason he was part of the first-round selection for the Portland Trail Blazers, coming 23rd overall–a more than ideal situation to be in for someone being drafted so young. Just two years later, in the Summer NBA League, Outlaw had earned First-Team All-RSVL Honors. 

3. Darryl Dawkins

Another legend in the NBA world and all things basketball, the late, great Darryl Dawkins is another iconic player that went straight into the NBA after high school. He’s still considered to be one of the best power dunkers in the world of basketball.

The breakaway rims we are so used to seeing on the hoops today? The man responsible for that is no other than Dawkins himself.

4. Yao Ming

Perhaps one of the most significant and notable international players of the time, Yao Ming was drafted into the NBA in 2002 by the Houston Rockets as the first pick overall. Critics were skeptical of the international player, due to his never having played college-level basketball in the United States.

Prior to this, Yao Ming had only ever played for the national team of China and the Shanghai Sharks, so there was nothing to show for him career-wise within the USA. However, the player proved critics wrong by creating an impressive career for himself. And despite the rocky start, considering he had only spent a week in training camp before his first game, even his coach was impressed, saying that it would have been a tough game for anyone, let alone a newcomer.

5. Kobe Bryant

Last but by no means least, we couldn’t complete this list without including the late, great Kobe Bryant. When the process of drafting out of high school in the NBA began to rise again, Bryant was the second player to be selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the ‘90s.

It didn’t take long for people to appreciate not only Bryant’s showmanship but also his athleticism. Pair that with his partnership with Shaquille O’Neal, and it’s fair to say that the two were basically unstoppable. Bryant was a 14-time All-Star, former MVP, and an All-NBA Mainstay, to name just a few of his formidable career achievements.

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