Did you know who were the top 10 players to go straight to the Pros from highschool?

Did you know that since the 2006 rule prohibiting players from going straight from high school to the NBA was instituted, it has been constantly debated and scrutinized? Did you know that the dominant players in the NBA today are individuals who were drafted straight out high school? For those of you who do not support the rule, here are some of the success stories of players that made the leaped from high school and landed with a giant thud…

#1 Kobe Bryant

It was a close contest with Moses and Kobe but Kobe wins out because of his 5 NBA CHIPs. After being named the ‘96 Naismith Prep Player of the Year out of suburban Philadelphia, Kobe was selected as the 13th player selected in the 1996 NBA Draft. The Lakers then traded center Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the rights to Bryant.

Career Stats: 25.3 ppg, 5.3 rebs, 4.7 ast, 1.5 stl

#2 Moses Malone

The man known simply as “Moses” to NBA fans was undoubtedly one of the league’s all-time best players over his 19 year NBA career. After reneging on a letter of intent to play for the University of Maryland, then playing 2 years in the ABA, he was the 5th player ever to go straight to the NBA without playing in college.

Career Stats: 20.6 ppg, 12.2 rebs, .491 FG%

#3 Kevin Garnett

As one of the most celebrated HS players of this generation, “Da Big Kid” became the first player since Malone to be drafted directly out of high school when he was selected as the #5 pick in the '95 Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett was the un-official pioneer of the new breed of hybrid big men currently dominating the college and pro ranks.

Career Stats: 19.8 ppg, 10.8 rebs, 4.2 ast, 1.6 blk

#4 Lebron James

After winning 3 consecutive Ohio State Titles at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s HS and winning most national POY awards in his senior season, James decided to take his considerable talents to the NBA after losing his NCAA eligibilty by participating in more than 2 HS All Star events as a senior. James took the league by storm by joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only players at the time to average 20 pts, 5 rebs, and 5 ast in their rookie season and was named the ‘04 ROY.

Career Stats: 27.8 ppg, 7 rebs, 7 ast, 1.7 stl, 1 blk

#5 Tracy McGrady

As the '97 USA Today HS Player of the Year at Mt Zion Academy in North Carolina, McGrady started his NBA career off slow by only averaging 7 ppg, after being selected as the 9th pick in the '97 NBA Draft. After originally being known as Vince Carter’s little cousin, McGrady started to develop into one of the league’s premier players once he joined the Orlando Magic.

Career Stats: 21.5 ppg, 6.0 rebs, 4.7 ast, 1.3 stl

#6 Shawn Kemp

Some fans may chose not to include Kemp on this list because he was enrolled at both Kentucky and Trinity Valley Community College, but he officially never played a game of college ball. As the 17th pick in the '89 Draft by the Supersonics, Kemp became the youngest player (19 yrs) at the time to play in the NBA.

Career Stats: 14.6 ppg, 8.4 rebs

#7 Dwight Howard

After his senior campaign at SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Howard swept all major HS POY Awards en route to being selected as the #1 overall pick by Orlando in the 2004 NBA Draft. Seen as the replacement for the departed Tracy McGrady, Howard worked hard to become arguably the game’s most imposing and physically gifted big man over the past 5 seasons.

Career Stats: 17.5 ppg, 12.7 rebs, 2.1 blk, .575 FG%

#8 Jermaine O'Neal

Despite an outstanding HS career at Eau Claire HS in South Carolina, O’Neal’s basketball career almost ended before it began after scoring poorly on the SAT’s. But after some mentoring by his HS coach, he straightened out and was chosen as the #17 pick in the '96 NBA Draft. After playing minor minutes off the Portland bench over his first 4 seasons, Jemaine blossomed into a perrenial All Star and elite level shot blocker in Indiana.

Career Stats: 14.2 ppg, 7.5 rebs, 1.9 blk

#9 Amare Stoudemire

After not taking up organized basketball until age 14 and playing at 6 high schools over 4 years, Amare gained national attention as the MVP of the Nike Summer League in 2002. Despite committing to play college ball at Memphis, he decided to declare for the NBA Draft, and was chosen as the 9th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns.

Career Stats: 21.4 ppg, 8.9 rebs, 1.4 blk, .544 FG %

#10 Darryl Dawkins

Hoping to follow in Moses Malone’s footsteps, Dawkins renounced his college eligibility and applied for the NBA Draft. The Sixers obliged by taking Dawkins with the 5th overall pick in the ‘75 Draft as not many players during that time had his combination of size, skill, and athleticism.

Career Stats: 12 ppg, 6.1 rebs, 1.4 blk

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