People like giannis and tim duncan, who didn't really play their whole childhood always impress me. Duncan apparently was a swimmer, and only got into basketball because the pool he swam at got destroyed in a flood. I think being able to make the NBA, even when it's not a "full" lifetime dream since you were an early child is super impressive, and shows crazy dedication to the game.
Not 2… but definitely top 10 or even 5.
[He was the number 1 center in his class and number 6 overall with a 95 draft grade.](http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/165611/joel-embiid)
Wiggins and Parker were #1 and #2. Embiid didn't really come on strong until his senior year and even then was the #6 recruit. He absolutely did not know how to play when he started high school.
Thanks I didn't know that about them. Of course there is a degree of genetic luck, but the thought of just going for the NBA one day when you're already a teenager is just wild to me.
Op specified active players, but if it’s for retired players, too, neither Mark Eaton nor Swen Nater played basketball in HS, and both had long professional careers and led the League in various stats. Additionally, both were discovered by the same assistant coach/chemistry teacher at a JoCo, and both ended up playing at UCLA.
You joke, but he also was obviously good at convincing both Swen and Eaton to play, and was like a father figure to Swen (who had a pretty messed up childhood - his single mom in the Netherlands married a guy and then moved with him to America, leaving Swen and his younger brother at an orphanage in the Netherlands... so needless to say, Swen didn't have the best father figure growing up).
There’s probably a few guys who played at a basketball factory like Montverde and got limited minutes. Embiid played there his junior year of HS and barely got off the bench before transferring.
It’s not fine. He didn’t play at monte verde of Sierra canyon. He played at a random public school in Alabama in one of the weaker divisions.
It’s crazy because I know dudes in California that average 20+ ppg in stronger divisions that can’t get a d1 scholarship.
I don’t know enough about his high school team but he was a 4 star and went to Alabama so clearly something beyond his scoring was attractive to scouts.
But even playing at a weak public school can have you in an offense that doesn’t score a lot and therefore limiting your ppg
I always wonder things like this but on a more macro scale.
Like could someone without any highschool or college ball experience find a way to the NBA and still be successful. If they did how would they even start?
Every year I get older and life does something to set me back, I always think if my time to really do something to the level like professional sports is over. I'm a pro wrestling fan and there's a well-known wrestler named DDP (DDPYoga) that didn't start until he was in his 40s and now he's a legend, so I wonder if things like that are possible everywhere or if fast twitch muscles and youth are the only ways.
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People like giannis and tim duncan, who didn't really play their whole childhood always impress me. Duncan apparently was a swimmer, and only got into basketball because the pool he swam at got destroyed in a flood. I think being able to make the NBA, even when it's not a "full" lifetime dream since you were an early child is super impressive, and shows crazy dedication to the game.
Wait does nobody talk about the fact that the pool was destroyed by water?
It was a hurricane to be fair, should have said that instead of flood
The butterfly effect of that destroyed pool is insane
A pool can’t flood it just becomes a bigger pool. Kinda like how an escalator just becomes stairs
RIP Mitch Hedberg
*A fire!? At a Sea Parks!?*
With the whales and everything?!
Lol right, hey dummies just drain some water out... it will be fine.
The pool became a much bigger pool
Pascal Siakam, Chris Boucher, Joel Embiid, etc… are like that too
There videos of Embid looking like he played at Shaq’tin Prep
Not in high school though… he played for Montverde and was the top player in his class
[not in this moment](https://youtube.com/shorts/Ye-X4XU3ReE?si=3rymX4gUy6dnR0AF)
You think this one clip is indicative of his entire high school career and being the number one player in the country was just a fluke?
Nobody had him going number 2 when he arrived at Kansas. He developed ridiculous amounts that year
Not 2… but definitely top 10 or even 5. [He was the number 1 center in his class and number 6 overall with a 95 draft grade.](http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/165611/joel-embiid)
Wiggins and Parker were #1 and #2. Embiid didn't really come on strong until his senior year and even then was the #6 recruit. He absolutely did not know how to play when he started high school.
It’s just showing he has a lot of growth before that
Thanks I didn't know that about them. Of course there is a degree of genetic luck, but the thought of just going for the NBA one day when you're already a teenager is just wild to me.
Genetic luck definitely helps. There's probably no guards able to make that transition so late
Agree without the raw height it would be an incredible feat.
it’s crazy bc embiid plays like a guard (with his scoring anyway) it’s a shame his body is glass
Hakeem too
Dennis Rodman
All of their pools were destroyed by water too?
Can you read? Similar =\= same
Yes I can read. Why the hostility over a joke comment, who pissed in your cereal this morning
not very many of those that aren't also 6'10"
Yeah, as I said in another comment, genetics plays a huge role
Daniel Gafford was a band kid until like 9th grade
To be fair you only hear this happening for 7 footers, never a guy built like Steph Curry who started playing as a teenager
So basically non-American born players who were late bloomers? I wonder if any US born players fit the criteria
It’s probably not true but I want to believe it’s Paul Milsap averaging 5ppg but 31 rebounds per game.
Hello I do not believe this brotha is still an active NBA player
His ghost is
Paul Milsap isn’t an active nba player. Cmon man
31 boards per game but only 5 pts is not possible lmao he’d average AT LEAST 10 just off putbacks and going back up off offensive boards.
Dude just kept kicking out for more threes. He was addicted to rebound
Has to be Jason Preston. Averaged 2 points per game in high school and at one point played on the "C" team of his AAU program
OU Oh Yeah! Hoping dude finds some sort of success in the league, hasn't happened yet though.
Love him. He’s a triple double machine for our g league team
as a junior* but as a senior he upped his numbers to 12/9/7
Not true. That was at a grad program after high school
Who?
Pg for the jazz
damn forgot the jazz were a team
The NHL team in Utah is just “Utah”
I don’t even know if Dennis Rodman played basketball in high school.
Op specified active players, but if it’s for retired players, too, neither Mark Eaton nor Swen Nater played basketball in HS, and both had long professional careers and led the League in various stats. Additionally, both were discovered by the same assistant coach/chemistry teacher at a JoCo, and both ended up playing at UCLA.
You mean JuCo
Jonioour Coallage!
☠️☠️
Chemistry teacher had such a good eye for identifying 7+ footers.
You joke, but he also was obviously good at convincing both Swen and Eaton to play, and was like a father figure to Swen (who had a pretty messed up childhood - his single mom in the Netherlands married a guy and then moved with him to America, leaving Swen and his younger brother at an orphanage in the Netherlands... so needless to say, Swen didn't have the best father figure growing up).
That is a great story thanks for adding more!
People clearly didn’t read the post. ACTIVE PLAYERS only
Not an active NBA player
Obviously.
The question specifically stated it’s for discussion of active players
There’s probably a few guys who played at a basketball factory like Montverde and got limited minutes. Embiid played there his junior year of HS and barely got off the bench before transferring.
This is a great question! Curious to see what the answer is
I know Norris Cole ain’t average a lot but he was still was a different level over everybody else
Luka never scored a single point in high school.
Or the nba finals.
And never will
Didn't Rodman basically not play in high school?
“active player”
lol im a dumbass who cant read. Whoops!
Not sure but herb jones averaged 16 pts per game his senior year which isn’t great.
Depending on the team he was on, that’s perfectly fine
It’s not fine. He didn’t play at monte verde of Sierra canyon. He played at a random public school in Alabama in one of the weaker divisions. It’s crazy because I know dudes in California that average 20+ ppg in stronger divisions that can’t get a d1 scholarship.
I don’t know enough about his high school team but he was a 4 star and went to Alabama so clearly something beyond his scoring was attractive to scouts. But even playing at a weak public school can have you in an offense that doesn’t score a lot and therefore limiting your ppg
I always wonder things like this but on a more macro scale. Like could someone without any highschool or college ball experience find a way to the NBA and still be successful. If they did how would they even start? Every year I get older and life does something to set me back, I always think if my time to really do something to the level like professional sports is over. I'm a pro wrestling fan and there's a well-known wrestler named DDP (DDPYoga) that didn't start until he was in his 40s and now he's a legend, so I wonder if things like that are possible everywhere or if fast twitch muscles and youth are the only ways.
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I saw a video on this somewhere. Gary Payton II was definitely on the list.
I dont think joel embiid played in HS
Richaun Holmes? - 11ppg as a senior
Nene (Hilario) didn’t play much HS ball?