Kobe Bryant went straight from Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania to the NBA. Where do some of the biggest names who went from high school to the pros rank?
22. Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown was a first overall pick by the Washington Wizards in 2001 out of Georgia’s Glynn Academy. He basically was a journeyman, never living up to the draft selection. Brown played for seven teams and averaged 6.6 points per game and 5.5 rebounds.
21. Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry was the fourth overall pick in 2001 by the Chicago Bulls out of Thornwood in Illinois. He had all sorts of issues while in pro basketball but was a champion in 2012. Might be surprised to realize he did average almost 13 points per game in a checkered career.
20. Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair never lived up to the hype after he was drafted 13th overall by the Trail Blazers out of Lincoln High School in New York. He found all sorts of trouble and teams in an erratic career and is currently looking at having to serve prison time, having been convicted of felonious weapons possession.
19. Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins entered the NBA directly from high school and played for the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans, winning the NBA Championship in 2008 with the Celtics. He averaged 5 points and almost 6 rebounds per game in a career that ran through 2018.
18. Gerald Green
Gerald Green was the 18th overall pick out of Gulf Shores Academy in Texas by the Boston Celtics. He has had a journeyman career and in many ways is more known for his dunking prowess. He has played for eight NBA teams and averaged less than 10 points per game.
17. Darryl Dawkins
The big man from Maynard Evans HS in Orlando, was the Philadelphia 76ers’ first pick in 1975. Dawkins averaged 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in a long NBA career that saw him play for four NBA teams. One of he largest players and personalities in pro basketball history was “Chocolate Thunder.”
16. Monta Ellis
Monta Ellis was the 40th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors out of Lanier in Jackson, Mississippi. He was the Most Improved Player in the league in 2007. Ellis played for four teams and averaged 17.8 points per game while scoring 14,858 points in his NBA career.
15. J.R. Smith
Controversial, mercurial and troublesome, J.R. Smith averaged 12.5 points per game in a career that saw him play 971 games for four teams after being taken by the New Orleans Hornets 18th overall out of St. Benedict’s in New Jersey in 2004. He has one NBA championship ring and was Sixth Man of the Year in 2013.
14. Al Jefferson
Al Jefferson played high school basketball for Prentiss High School in Mississippi before skipping college to enter the 2004 NBA Draft, where he was drafted 15th overall by the Boston Celtics. He has played for the Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers. He averaged almost 16 points and 8 rebounds per game.
13. Al Harrington
Selected with the 25th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft out of St. Elizabeth in New Jersey, Harrington played 16 seasons for the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards. He also spent a short stint with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
12. Rashard Lewis
Rashard Lewis was chosen by the Seattle SuperSonics 32nd overall in 1998 out of high school in Houston. He rose to prominence as a scorer with Seattle, and was later a member of the Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. He garnered two All-Star selections, one with Seattle and another with Orlando. Lewis reached the NBA Finals three times, winning an NBA championship in 2013 as a member of the Heat.
11. Shaun Livingston
Shaun Livington was drafted by the Clippers out of Peoria in 2004. He had his career short-circuited in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Feb. 26, 2007, Livingston suffered a debilitating knee injury, dislocating his left kneecap after landing awkwardly following a missed layup, resulting in the left leg snapping laterally. Livingston injured almost every part of his knee, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and the lateral meniscus, badly spraining his medial collateral ligament (MCL), and dislocating his patella and his tibio-fibular joint. Livingston was told by a medical professional at the hospital that there was a chance that his leg would have to be amputated. He required months of rehabilitation to be able to walk again. He has gone on to become a three-time NBA champion. A fantastic story.
10. Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler was the second overall pick in 2001 by the Los Angeles Clippers out of Dominguez (Compton, Ca). A one-time NBA champ and All-Star, he was also the Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. Chandler averages 9 rebounds and 8.2 points per game. A solid force in the middle.
9. Lou Williams
Lou Williams is a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year. He’s instant offense and has played, fittingly, for six NBA teams. Williams is in his third year with the Clippers and has averaged almost 21 points per game for Los Angeles. He was a 45th overall pick out of South Gwinnett High School by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2005.
8. Amar’e Stoudemire
The Phoenix Suns selected Amar’e Stoudemire ninth overall in 2002 out of Cypress Creek in Florida in 2002. Injuries sidetrack his career but Stoudemire is a six-time All-Star and was the Rookie of the Year in 2003.
7. Jermaine O’Neal
Jermaine O’Neal had a stellar NBA career after being chosen 17th overall out of Eau Claire in South Carolina by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996. O’Neal was a six-time All-Star and averaged better than 13 points per game and 7 rebounds in a career that saw him play for seven teams.
6. Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard is on his second tour with the Los Angeles Lakers and has experienced a renaissance in 2019-20. He is an eight-time All-Star and five-time NBA rebounding leader and All-NBA first team. Howard’s career has been erratic and he receives more criticism than one would expect for a player who averages 16.9 ppg and 12.4 rebounds per game. He was the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic out of Atlanta’s Southwest Christian Academy in 2004.
5. Tracy McGrady
The ninth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina, Tracy McGrady was a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA scoring champion.
4. Kevin Garnett
The Big Ticket was the fifth overall pick in 1995 from Farragut Academy to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin Garnett is a 15-time All-Star, one-time MVP, NBA champ and All-Star Game MVP. He has become a pretty good actor, too, if you have seen “Uncut Gems.”
3. Moses Malone
Moses Malone dominated for two decades. The 12-time NBA All-Star center, who began his career in the ABA, won three MVP awards, helped lead the 76ers to a championship in 1983, and averaged 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game over 21 seasons. Malone signed with the ABA Utah Stars out of Petersburg, Va.
2. LeBron James
LeBron James was the local hero who made the leap from St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron to the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the best players in NBA history, James is a 16-time All-Star, four-time NBA MVP and three-time Finals MVP and NBA champion.
1. Kobe Bryant
A five-time NBA champ and 18-time All-Star, the great Kobe Bryant made the leap from Lower Merion High School to the Los Angeles Lakers via the Charlotte Hornets, who drafted him 13th overall in 1996.
