NBA high school draftees - wikipedia NBA high school draftees The NBA high school draftees are players who have been drafted to the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) straight out of high school without playing basketball at the collegiate level. The process of jumping directly from high school to the professional level is also known as going prep - to - pro. Since 2006, the practice of drafting high school players has been prohibited by the new collective bargaining agreement, which requires that players who entered the draft be 19 years of age and at least one year removed from high school. Contrary to popular belief, the player does not have to play at least a year in college basketball, as the player can choose to instead play in another professional league ( like the NBA G League or especially somewhere overseas ) like Brandon Jennings or Emmanuel Mudiay in Italy and China respectively, simply take the year off, such as the case with Mitchell Robinson, or even hold themselves back a year in high school before declaring for the draft, like with Satnam Singh Bhamara or Thon Maker. The NBA has long had a preference for players who played basketball at the collegiate level ; the vast majority of players to play in the NBA have had college experience. However, there have been numerous notable players who attended high school in the United States and then jumped directly to the NBA without playing college basketball. Contents 1 History 1.1 Early years 1.2 1995 -- 2005 1.3 2005 -- present 2 List 3 Other players 4 Controversy 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links 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. 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. Thus, he spent a year playing in a minor basketball league before he was drafted again in the 1963 draft by the Pistons. He finally entered the league in the 1963 -- 64 season and played four seasons in the NBA and American Basketball Association ( ABA ). In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decision Haywood v. National Basketball Association ruled, 7 -- 2 against the National Basketball Association '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 four years of college, provided they could give evidence of hardship to the NBA office. In 1974, the NBA 's rival, the ABA, drafted high school star Moses Malone. He was immediately signed by the Utah Stars and became the first player to go directly from high school basketball to a professional league. He became an instant success, averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game in his rookie season. He played in the ABA until the ABA -- NBA merger in 1976. He then played 19 successful seasons with 7 NBA teams. He won the NBA championship, along with the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. His other achievements include 3 Most Valuable Player Awards, 12 consecutive All - Star Game selections, 8 All - NBA Team selections and 6 rebounding titles. He has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league 's 50th anniversary in 1996. A year later, two high school players, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby, applied for hardship and were declared eligible to be selected in the 1975 draft. They had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier. 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. After Dawkins and Willoughby, no high schoolers were drafted for 14 years, though several players entered the league without playing college basketball. One notable 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. He played 14 seasons in the NBA and was selected to 6 All - Star Games and 3 All - NBA Teams. 1995 -- 2005 Kevin Garnett 's high - profile migration from high school to the NBA in 1995 prompted many high schoolers to follow in his footsteps In 1995, Kevin Garnett, USA Today 's 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 was a multiple All - Star during his time 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, until the following year. In 2001, Kwame Brown ( selected by the Washington Wizards ) became the first high - schooler to be selected with the number one pick in the draft ; since then, LeBron James ( 2003 ) and Dwight Howard ( 2004 ) have also been selected with the first pick. Other notable high - schoolers include Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry ( 2001 ) ; Amar'e Stoudemire ( 2002 ) ; Josh Smith, Sebastian Telfair, J.R. Smith, and Shaun Livingston ( 2004 ) ; Andrew Bynum and Monta Ellis ( 2005 ). Many prep - to - pro players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Tracy Mcgrady went on to become star players in the NBA. Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James have all won the league 's MVP Award ; as well as holding at least one NBA title under their belt, and are widely regarded as future Hall - of - Famers. Dwight Howard, Jermaine O'Neal and Amar'e Stoudemire also became perennial All - Stars in their prime. However, not all high - schoolers were successful. Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry are widely regarded as draft busts, while Jonathan Bender and Darius Miles had their careers cut short by injury. Korleone Young ( drafted in 1998 ) and Leon Smith ( drafted in 1999 ) only played a handful of games in the NBA, while Lenny Cooke and DeAngelo Collins, both of whom declared for the 2002 Draft, went undrafted and never played in the NBA. 2005 -- present Brandon Jennings spent a year playing in Italy before entering the NBA Beginning 2005, both the NBA and the players ' union started to discuss the possibility of implementing a new age limit. The league lobbied for an age minimum of 20 while the union was against an age limit. 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. For the first time, teams are also allowed to send players, with two years of NBA experience or less, to the NBA Development League ( NBA D - League ). The terms of the new agreement ended the practice of drafting high school players, starting in the 2006 Draft. A high school player must wait at least a year to be eligible for selection. However, they are not required to spend that year in college. In 2008, high school star Brandon Jennings decided to skip college and play professional basketball in Italy. After a year, he was eligible for the 2009 draft and was selected 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks. In the 2010 draft, Latavious Williams, who did not qualify academically to go to college, spent a year playing in the NBA D - League before he was drafted in the second round. Emmanuel Mudiay decided to take a route similar to that of Brandon Jennings by skipping college to play professionally in China in 2014 before being selected by the Denver Nuggets at pick 7 a year later. In the 2015 draft, Satnam Singh Bhamara, who did not qualify academically to go to college, went straight to the NBA draft as a post-graduate after being at IMG Academy for five years. He would be taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd pick in the draft, thus becoming the first high school student to be drafted since the rule changes. In the 2016 draft, one of the Top -- 10 players that was declared eligible for NCAA play in 2016, Thon Maker, decided to enter the draft instead as a post-graduate from Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada due to him originally declaring himself as eligible for college in 2015. Thon would also mark the first player to be drafted directly from a Canadian high school, as well as the second player to enter as a post-graduate. He 'd also be the first high schooler to be drafted in the first round since 2005, being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the tenth pick in the draft, thus becoming the first high school lottery pick since 2005. Most recently, in the 2018 draft, Anfernee Simons from the IMG Academy was also drafted in the NBA with the 24th, with Simons being a postgraduate there like Satnam Singh Bhamara was three years prior. In addition to him, Mitchell Robinson took a year off of playing time after high school due to exiting Western Kentucky University early without playing there, which left him drafted as the 36th pick. 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. '' 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 C.E.O. of a company try to protect themselves by putting rules like that. '' Former Florida Gators and current Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan believed that the rule made high schoolers feel like they were being punished. List There have been 45 high school draftees in the NBA Draft. Three draftees were selected first overall ; Kwame Brown in 2001 NBA draft, LeBron James in 2003 and Dwight Howard in 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. Three draftees went on to win the Most Valuable Player Award ; Kevin Garnett in 2004, Kobe Bryant in 2008 and LeBron James in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. Ten draftees have been selected to the All - Star Game while seven draftees have been selected to the All - NBA Team. Pos. Position Guard Forward Center Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame * Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All - Star Game and All - NBA Team Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All - Star Game Denotes player who never played in the NBA regular season or playoffs Kobe Bryant was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996. Jermaine O'Neal was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996. Tracy McGrady was selected by the Toronto Raptors in 1997. Amar'e Stoudemire was selected by the Phoenix Suns in 2002. LeBron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Dwight Howard was selected by the Orlando Magic in 2004. Draft Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Draft team High school ( city ) Ref. 1962 29 Reggie Harding United States Detroit Pistons Detroit Eastern High School ( Detroit ) 5 Darryl Dawkins United States Philadelphia 76ers Maynard Evans High School ( Orlando, Florida ) 19 Bill Willoughby F / C United States Atlanta Hawks Dwight Morrow High School ( Englewood, New Jersey ) 1995 5 Kevin Garnett * United States Minnesota Timberwolves Farragut Career Academy ( Chicago ) 13 Kobe Bryant * United States Charlotte Hornets Lower Merion High School ( Ardmore, Pennsylvania ) 17 Jermaine O'Neal * F / C United States Portland Trail Blazers Eau Claire High School ( Columbia, South Carolina ) 1997 9 Tracy McGrady ^ United States Toronto Raptors Mount Zion Christian Academy ( Durham, North Carolina ) 1998 25 Al Harrington United States Indiana Pacers St. Patrick High School ( Elizabeth, New Jersey ) 1998 32 Rashard Lewis United States Seattle SuperSonics Alief Elsik High School ( Houston, Texas ) 1998 40 Korleone Young United States Detroit Pistons Hargrave Military Academy ( Chatham, Virginia ) 1999 5 Jonathan Bender United States Toronto Raptors Picayune Memorial High School ( Picayune, Mississippi ) 1999 25 Leon Smith United States Dallas Mavericks Martin Luther King High School ( Chicago ) 2000 Darius Miles United States Los Angeles Clippers East St. Louis High School ( East St. Louis, Illinois ) 2000 23 DeShawn Stevenson United States Utah Jazz Washington Union High School ( Fresno, California ) 2001 Kwame Brown United States Washington Wizards Glynn Academy ( Brunswick, Georgia ) 2001 Tyson Chandler * United States Los Angeles Clippers Dominguez High School ( Compton, California ) 2001 Eddy Curry United States Chicago Bulls Thornwood High School ( South Holland, Illinois ) 2001 8 DeSagana Diop Senegal Cleveland Cavaliers Oak Hill Academy ( Mouth of Wilson, Virginia ) 2001 46 Ousmane Cisse Mali Denver Nuggets St. Jude High School ( Montgomery, Alabama ) 2002 9 Amar'e Stoudemire * F / C United States Phoenix Suns Cypress Creek High School ( Orlando, Florida ) 2003 LeBron James * United States Cleveland Cavaliers St. Vincent -- St. Mary High School ( Akron, Ohio ) 2003 23 Travis Outlaw United States Portland Trail Blazers Starkville High School ( Starkville, Mississippi ) 2003 26 Ndudi Ebi United Kingdom Nigeria Minnesota Timberwolves Westbury Christian School ( Houston, Texas ) 2003 27 Kendrick Perkins United States Memphis Grizzlies Clifton J. Ozen High School ( Beaumont, Texas ) 2003 48 James Lang United States New Orleans Hornets Central Park Christian High School ( Birmingham, Alabama ) Dwight Howard * F / C United States Orlando Magic Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy ( Atlanta ) Shaun Livingston United States Los Angeles Clippers Peoria High School ( Peoria, Illinois ) 12 Robert Swift United States Seattle SuperSonics Bakersfield High School ( Bakersfield, California ) 13 Sebastian Telfair United States Portland Trail Blazers Abraham Lincoln High School ( Brooklyn, New York ) 15 Al Jefferson United States Boston Celtics Prentiss High School ( Prentiss, Mississippi ) 17 Josh Smith United States Atlanta Hawks Oak Hill Academy ( Mouth of Wilson, Virginia ) 18 J.R. Smith United States New Orleans Hornets Saint Benedict 's Preparatory School ( Newark, New Jersey ) 19 Dorell Wright G / F United States Miami Heat South Kent Preparatory School ( South Kent, Connecticut ) 2005 6 Martell Webster G / F United States Portland Trail Blazers Seattle Preparatory School ( Seattle ) 2005 10 Andrew Bynum United States Los Angeles Lakers St. Joseph High School ( Metuchen, New Jersey ) 2005 18 Gerald Green United States Boston Celtics Gulf Shores Academy ( Houston, Texas ) 2005 34 C.J. Miles United States Utah Jazz Skyline High School ( Dallas ) 2005 35 Ricky Sánchez Puerto Rico Portland Trail Blazers IMG Academy ( Bradenton, Florida ) 2005 40 Monta Ellis United States Golden State Warriors Lanier High School ( Jackson, Mississippi ) 2005 45 Louis Williams United States Philadelphia 76ers South Gwinnett High School ( Snellville, Georgia ) 2005 49 Andray Blatche United States Philippines Washington Wizards South Kent Preparatory School ( South Kent, Connecticut ) 2005 56 Amir Johnson United States Detroit Pistons Westchester High School ( Los Angeles ) 2015 52 Satnam Singh India Dallas Mavericks IMG Academy ( Bradenton, Florida ) 2016 10 Thon Maker F / C Sudan South Sudan Australia Milwaukee Bucks Orangeville District Secondary School ( Orangeville, Ontario, Canada ) 2018 24 Anfernee Simons United States Portland Trail Blazers IMG Academy ( Bradenton, Florida ) ^ 1 : Reggie Harding played and graduated from Detroit Eastern High School in January but he played high school basketball in Nashville, Tennessee prior to the draft. ^ 2 : While Ndudi Ebi was originally born and raised in London, England, he also holds Nigerian nationality due to his parents being born and raised there. ^ 3 : Andray Blatche was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and holds American nationality, but he had become a naturalized Filipino since June 2014 and has officially represented the Philippines since. ^ 4 : Satnam Singh officially marks the first ever player to be taken from India in the NBA. He also marks the first time since 2005 after their latest ruling on high school players that someone directly from high school would be taken in the draft, albeit as a postgraduate senior. ^ 5 : Thon Maker was born in Wau, Sudan at the time, but Wau has now since become a part of South Sudan instead due to war. Even then, though, he would be raised as an Australian representative. ^ 6 : Thon Maker would become the first high schooler to be selected from the nation of Canada instead of somewhere in the United States of America ( and second overall high school postgraduate student ). Also, while Thon attended classes at Orangeville Prep, he would play basketball games for the Athlete Institute nearby in Mono, Ontario as well. Other players The following players also played in the NBA or were drafted without playing college basketball ; however, these players did not get drafted or join the NBA directly after their high school graduation. Year Debut Player Pos. Nationality High school ( city ) Notes Ref. -- 1946 Tony Kappen United States Forest Hills High School ( Queens, New York ) Played in the ABL before making his BAA debut The first player to play in the BAA / NBA without any college experience Made his BAA debut at the age of 27 -- 1946 Connie Simmons F / C United States Flushing High School ( Flushing, New York ) The second player to play in the BAA / NBA without any college experience Made his BAA debut at the age of 21 -- 1948 Joe Graboski F / C United States Tuley High School ( Chicago ) The third and final player to play in the BAA before its merger as the NBA Made his BAA debut at the age of 18 1960 1969 Connie Hawkins ^ F / C United States Boys High School ( Brooklyn, New York ) Was permanently banned by the NBA due to a point shaving scandal in college, but was later reinstated in 1969 Attended University of Iowa Played in the ABL and the ABA before making his NBA debut 1976 Moses Malone ^ F / C United States Petersburg High School ( Petersburg, Virginia ) Drafted by the Utah Stars in the 1974 ABA Draft Played in the ABA before the ABA -- NBA merger 1988 1989 Shawn Kemp * F / C United States Concord High School ( Elkhart, Indiana ) Attended University of Kentucky and Trinity Valley Community College Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1989 NBA draft ( 1st round, 17th pick ) 1986 1992 Lloyd Daniels United States Andrew Jackson High School ( Queens, New York ) Attended Mt. San Antonio College Played in various minor basketball leagues before making his NBA debut 1993 Thomas Hamilton United States Martin Luther King High School ( Chicago ) Attended University of Pittsburgh Declared for the 1994 NBA draft but went undrafted 2000 Stephen Jackson United States Oak Hill Academy ( Mouth of Wilson, Virginia ) Attended Butler Community College Drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 1997 NBA draft ( 2nd round, 43rd pick ) 2001 2015 Marcelo Huertas Brazil Italy Coppell High School ( Coppell, Texas ) Was born in Brazil and played for the Esporte Clube Pinheiros before moving to the U.S.A. around 2000. Played senior year in Coppell High School before beginning his professional international career. Went undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft. Played in Brazil, Spain, and Italy before making his NBA debut in 2015. 2005 Jackie Butler F / C United States Coastal Christian Academy ( Virginia Beach, Virginia ) Initially committed to Mississippi State University and, later on, the University of Tennessee Declared for the 2004 NBA draft but went undrafted Played in the CBA before making his NBA debut 2008 2009 Brandon Jennings United States Oak Hill Academy ( Mouth of Wilson, Virginia ) Initially committed to the University of Southern California and, later on, the University of Arizona Played in the Italian league in the 2008 -- 09 season Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2009 NBA draft ( 1st round, 10th pick ) 2009 Latavious Williams United States Christian Life Center Academy ( Humble, Texas ) Initially committed to the University of Memphis Played in the NBA D - League in the 2009 -- 10 season Drafted by the Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA draft ( 2nd round, 43rd pick ) 2011 Enes Kanter F / C Turkey Stoneridge Preparatory School ( Simi Valley, California ) Previously played in both youth squads and professionally in Turkey Moved to the U.S.A. in 2009 and played basketball in his senior year of high school Attended the University of Kentucky, but was barred from playing due to his previous time spent in Turkey Drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA draft ( 1st round, 3rd pick ) 2011 Jeremy Tyler United States San Diego High School ( San Diego ) Initially committed to the University of Louisville Left high school after his junior year in 2009 Played in the Israeli league in the 2009 -- 10 season Played in the Japanese league in the 2010 -- 11 season Drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 NBA draft ( 2nd round, 39th pick ) 2012 2013 Ricky Ledo United States South Kent High School ( South Kent, Connecticut ) Attended Providence College Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2013 NBA draft ( 2nd round, 43rd pick ) 2013 2015 Cristiano Felício Brazil CCSE Prep Academy ( Sacramento ) Was born in Brazil and played professionally there before moving in his senior year. Tried to get a scholarship for the University of Oregon, but was deemed ineligible. Returned to playing professionally in Brazil. 2014 2015 Emmanuel Mudiay PG Democratic Republic of the Congo United States Prime Prep Academy ( Dallas ) Initially committed to Southern Methodist University Played in the Chinese professional league in the 2014 -- 15 season Drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA draft ( 1st round, 7th pick ) 2014 2016 Georgios Papagiannis Greece Westtown School ( West Chester, Pennsylvania ) Was born in Greece and played professionally for Peristeri at 14 before moving in his freshman year Went to Westtown as a junior before moving back to Greece Played professionally for the Panathinaikos while also attending the American School in Athens, Greece Drafted by the Phoenix Suns and traded to the Sacramento Kings in the 2016 NBA draft ( 1st round, 13th pick ) 2017 2018 Mitchell Robinson United States Chalmette High School ( Chalmette, Louisiana ) Initially committed to and briefly attended Western Kentucky University Decided to sit out on professional competition and instead trained on his own Drafted by the New York Knicks in the 2018 NBA draft ( 2nd round, 36th pick ) Controversy Further information : National Basketball Association criticisms and controversies § Age limit 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 more likely to fail. Instead, they believe that colleges are useful at filtering out players who can dominate against weak competition in high school, but can not succeed at a higher level of play. They also think that the influx of high schoolers bypassing colleges in favor of the NBA has caused collegiate game to deteriorate. Universities are wary of spending time recruiting as many players that are motivated financially to turn pro fresh out of high school. 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 ''. 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. See also Haywood v. National Basketball Association Notes Each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA Draft. Year denotes the year when the player graduated from high school. Debut denotes the year when the player made his NBA debut. Each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA season. Information not available References Jump up ^ Nance, Roscoe ( June 21, 2005 ). `` Teen draftees grounded until 19 under new deal ''. USA Today. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ Knight, Athelia ( March 23, 2000 ). `` NBA Ponders New League ; It Would Develop College - Age Players ''. The Washington Post. p. D1. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Royals Snap Up Lucas ''. Sarasota Herald - Tribune. March 27, 1962. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Pistons Ca n't Use 7 - Foot Prep ''. Lawrence Journal - World. July 3, 1962. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ Hilton, Dan ( July 14, 2008 ). `` Does n't the Extra Year Help Teams ? ''. NBA.com/Suns. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` This Game Called What 's The Name ''. Toledo Blade. January 7, 1963. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Reggie Harding Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Spencer Haywood Bio ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ Deford, Frank ( February 19, 1979 ). `` Bounding Into Prominence ''. Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Moses Malone Bio ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Burden, Dantley top list ''. Lawrence Journal - World. May 9, 1975. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ Broussard, Chris ( November 16, 2003 ). `` Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers ''. The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ McCallum, Jack ( June 26, 1995 ). `` Hoop Dream ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 28, 2010. ^ Jump up to : James, Michael ( March 22, 1995 ). `` Garnett Is No Gem For NBA ''. Daily News. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Shawn Kemp Bio ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 15, 2004. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Shawn Kemp Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Beck, Howard ( June 28, 2005 ). `` Draft Will Close Book on High School Stars ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010. Jump up ^ `` NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement Ratified and Signed ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 30, 2005. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Jennings puts new path to NBA on full display ''. ESPN Internet Ventures. July 28, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ Cranston, Mark ( June 25, 2009 ). `` Williams eyes high school - D - League - NBA route ''. USA Today. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ Thamel, Pete ( July 12, 2009 ). `` Few High School Stars Expected to Follow European Detour to N.B.A. '' The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010. Jump up ^ Rhoden, William C. ( March 20, 2007 ). `` Growing to Appreciate the N.B.A. 's Age Limit ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Rookie of the Year ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Most Valuable Player ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Reggie Harding Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Darryl Dawkins Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Bill Willoughby Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Kevin Garnett Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Kobe Bryant Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Jermaine O'Neal Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tracy McGrady Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Al Harrington Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Rashard Lewis Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Korleone Young Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Jonathan Bender Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Leon Smith Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Darius Miles Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` DeShawn Stevenson Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Kwame Brown Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tyson Chandler Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Eddy Curry Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` DeSagana Diop Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Player Profile : Ousmane Cisse ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Amare Stoudemire Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` LeBron James Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Travis Outlaw Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Ndubi Ebi Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Kendrick Perkins Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` James Lang Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Dwight Howard Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Shaun Livingston Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Robert Swift Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Sebastian Telfair Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Al Jefferson Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Josh Smith Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` J.R. Smith Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Dorell Wright Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Prospect Profile : Dorell Wright ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Martell Webster Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Andrew Bynum Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Gerald Green Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` C.J. Miles Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Fifty Early Entry Candidates Withdraw ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 22, 2005. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Monta Ellis Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Louis Williams Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Andray Blatche Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Amir Johnson Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Satnam Singh Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Thon Maker Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Anfernee Simons Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 21, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Pistons Ca n't Use 7 - Foot Prep ''. Lawrence Journal - World. July 3, 1962. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Royals Snap Up Lucas ''. Sarasota Herald - Tribune. March 27, 1962. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tony Kappen Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ O'Mealy, Ryan Canner ( March 19, 2010 ). `` Jeremy Tyler : Preps - to - Passports ''. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` American Basketball League Statistics 1938 -- 39 To 1952 -- 53 ''. The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Connie Simmons Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ Butler, Dylan ( February 11, 2010 ). `` The Butler Did It ''. New York Post. NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Joe Graboski Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Joe Graboski of Olympians Jumps From Preps to Pros ''. The Milwaukee Journal. October 29, 1952. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Connie Hawkins Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2011. Jump up ^ Flatter, Ron ( November 19, 2003 ). `` Layups : More Info on Connie Hawkins ''. ESPN. Retrieved January 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Connie Hawkins Bio ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Moses Malone Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Shawn Kemp Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Shawn Kemp Bio ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 15, 2004. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Lloyd Daniels Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Lloyd Daniel 's Next Stop : Long Island ''. The New York Times. April 30, 1992. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ Gup, Ted ; Doyle, Brian ( April 3, 1989 ). `` Education : Playing To Win in Vegas ''. Time. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Thomas Hamilton Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Thomas Hamilton Bio ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Stephen Jackson Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Hawks Sign Free Agent Stephen Jackson ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. October 3, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Marcelo Huertas Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 30, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Jackie Butler Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Jackie Butler Bio ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Spurs Sign Jackie Butler ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 21, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Brandon Jennings Statistics ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Draft 2009 Prospects : Brandon Jennings ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Draft 2010 Prospects : Latavious Williams ''. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` 2010 NBA Draft ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 8, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Tyler intrigues as NBA draft nears ''. ESPN Internet Ventures. June 15, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2011 NBA Draft ''. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 2, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Sappenfield, Mark ( May 22, 2001 ). `` Straight to the NBA -- without a stop at college ''. Christian Science Monitor. Vol. 93, Issue 124, p. 1. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Freeman, Mike ( April 5, 2002 ). `` Sports of The Times ; Young Star Stays Cool in Spotlight ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010. Jump up ^ Ewell, Christian ( May 18, 2004 ). `` 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 do n't ''. The Baltimore Sun. p. 1 C. access - date = requires url = ( help ) External links NBA.com NBA.com : NBA Draft History hide NBA drafts Draft lottery Draft Combine Eligibility Territorial picks First overall picks High school draftees Undrafted players Supreme Court case WNBA draft 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft 1940s 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990s 1992 1993 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Expansion drafts 1961 1966 1967 1968 1970 1980 1988 1989 1995 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBA_high_school_draftees&oldid=848826875 '' Categories : National Basketball Association high school draftees National Basketball Association draft National Basketball Association lists National Basketball Association controversies Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Edit links This page was last edited on 4 July 2018, at 16 : 15 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who was the first nba player straight out of high school
Answer: Reggie Harding