Thirteen years ago the Charlotte Hornets made an unpopular decision and drafted an 18 year-old High School senior named Kobe Bryant with the 13th pick overall in the 2006 NBA draft. More than a decade later, drafting a basketball player without College experience doesn’t seem like much of a gamble after Bryant has become the leader of the Los Angeles Lakers.

We’re down to the NBA’s version of the “Final 4” and 3 of these 4 remaining teams have talented leaders that entered the NBA right out of the High School ranks. The Cavaliers selected LeBron James as the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft following an All-State career at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Just a year later, Orlando drafted 6-11 center, Dwight Howard, as the #1 pick in the 2004 NBA draft via Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy.

While these NBA all-stars bypassed their College careers, their learning curve was accelerated by going head-to-head with the best professional NBA players. While most young players get 4 years of College experience, James and Howard are battling against each other in the Eastern Finals after only 4, and 3 years of NBA playing time, respectively. Just about the same amount of time that they would have spent playing College basketball.

Unless Carmello Anthony and his Denver Nuggets pull off a few upsets, the NBA ring will be worn by one of these young guns this season. However, after attending Oak Hill Academy, Anthony was voted MVP of the NCAA Final 4 Tournament in his freshman season and immediately was drafted 3rd overall by the Nuggets in the 2003 draft, following only one season of College basketball experience!

Of course, not every player drafted straight out of High School will be able to handle the pressures and major jump in class into the NBA, but for the few who can make that leap, their teams will get an extra 4 years to mold their prodigies. Just think about it, in the 2020 NBA Finals, Dwight Howard will only be 35 years old- We just might still be betting on him!

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