In addition, Mitchell Robinson took a year off after high school due to exiting Western Kentucky University early without playing there, which left him drafted as the 36th pick. In 2013 he was forced to leave his foreclosed home which was littered with bullet holes, garbage bags and approximately a 100 empty pizza boxes, which is a total greater than the amount of games he played. 2000 1. He committed to going to DePaul but chose the NBA Draft instead and the Bulls selected him 4th overall. The 'NBA players drafted out of high school' quiz Total tries: 2423 | Average Score: 10.5 out of 44 ( 24% ) | Quiz FAQ Can you name every NBA player drafted out of high school? The terms of the new agreement ended the practice of drafting high school players, starting in the 2000 Draft. Telfair had originally committed to Louisville University after hs senior year at Lincoln High School in New York, where he averaged 33 points and 9 assists during his senior year. Three draftees were selected first overall; Kwame Brown in 2001 NBA draft, LeBron James in 2003, and Dwight Howard in 2004 NBA draft. Having played 13 seasons with 4 teams and at age 31, Amir Johnson has provided a good sample size to contribute to the legacy of high school draftees. He would parlay that selection into over $45 million before retiring after a few surgeries. Rick Sund would use the Pistons 40th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft to select Young. The graduate from Westchester HIgh School in California would have his best season with the Toronto Raptors where he averaged 10 points and 7 rebounds per game. (Martell Webster, Andrew Bynum, Gerald Green, CJ Miles, Monta Ellis, Louis Williams, Andray Blatche, Amir Johnson) Ricky Sanchez, a Puerto Rican player, was also drafted, but has not played in the NBA). The younger players can play for at least one year there before declaring entry for future draft entries instead of going through postgraduate entry as draft prospects. While watching James during his first two or three years … The 1983-84 season with the New Jersey Nets would prove to be his best when he averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds. making for the highest amount of declarations from high school since 2005. Players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady all had a lot of success in the league. Coming out of Washington Union High School, DeShawn Stevenson had a stellar senior season when he averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Going through all Kevin Garnett’s NBA awards and accomplishments would be a futile practice for the purposes of this list. During his senior year at Eau Claire High School in South Carolina, 'J.O' averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks in his senior year. [14][99] Instead, they believe that colleges are useful at filtering out players who can dominate against weak competition in high school, but cannot succeed at a higher level of play. ==List= 41 highschoolers have been drafttees in the NBA draft. ", "Growing to Appreciate the N.B.A. Upon drafting him, the Clippers traded him along with Brian Skinner to the Bulls for their 1999 first selection overall Elton Brand. /USA Today Player of the Year winner would declare himself eligible for the 1996 NBA Draft and that he would only sign with Los Angeles Lakers. He was the first high schooler to be drafted in the first round since 2005, being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the tenth pick, becoming the first high school lottery pick since 2005. Well, one of the best players out of high school that currently play (and the first to come to my mind) is LeBron James, selected 1st overall in the 2003 NBA draft. My list of the TOP 10 NBA PLAYERS DRAFTED STRAIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL WITH HIGHLIGHTS FROM HIGH SCHOOL! "[17] Others, however, strongly criticize the rule. He was immediately signed by the Utah Stars and became the first player to go directly from high school basketball to a professional league. When asked about The first Indian born player drafted to the NBA, Mark Cuban replied in 2015, "He's a project, but he has a lot of upside.". Terrance Ferguson also opted out of college for professional play, this time in Australia in 2016 before being selected a year later by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 21st pick of the 2017 draft. The Senegal born Diop would play in 601 career games and averaged 2 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes per game. Although everybody behind Cisse made little contribution to their team, Cisse never played for the Nuggets, he played one preseason game with the Magic and lasted a few days with the Raptors. He did this in order to save NBA general managers from themselves, to prevent them from making mistakes by selecting 18 year-olds who the GMs were unable to scout and evaluate properly themselves. Dunk’ was drafted 5th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, the 6’11” 19 year old would not make much of a contribution until his third season. To check it out, I looked back over the nine drafts since 1995 and saw that 28 players were drafted in the first round straight out of high school. [11] They had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning a living by starting their professional careers earlier. His numbers would pick, up as he would retire averaging 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The 2013-14 season would be his last as he retired as a member of the Miami Heat with career averages of 15 points and 5 rebounds. This production was enough for the Utah Jazz to use their 23rd selection on him in the 2000 NBA Draft. Before the one-and-done rule was instituted in 2006, the last player selected in the first round out of high school was Gerald Green, who was picked 18th in 2005. Over the 230 games played, Harding would average just under 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. Neither player reached the level of success that was expected. The article finds that "on average, these [high school] players perform better in every major statistical category than does the average NBA player". Originally slated to attend Duke, ‘S.Dot’ declared for NBA Draft and was selected 4th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004. He would never play a game for the Mavericks or a game period, during the 1999-00 season. [10], 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. Despite his games started declining in his second season, his minutes per game increased from 10 to 17 minutes which has raised his career scoring average to 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. league lobbied for an age minimum of 20 while the union was against an age limit. He was 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 went into action. Running out the clock while you are losing in Game 1 of the NBA Finals aside, J.R Smith has had a pretty decent career since declaring for the 2004 NBA Draft. NBA Draft: Top 5 players drafted straight out of high school The Los Angeles Lakers made Andrew Bynum the 10th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. ‘Perk’ had the best season of his career in 2009-10 with the Boston Celtics when the 6’10" power forward averaged 10 points and almost 8 rebounds per game. With George McGinnis and Doug Collins averaging over 20 points each, ‘Sir Slam’ would manage to get under 200 field goals attempted in his first two seasons. Currently, the 14-year vet averages 17 points and 13 rebounds per game for his career. His best two seasons came back-to-back when he managed to average 13 points and over 4 rebounds per game. 1 overall draft pick. 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 2005, the practice of drafting high school players has been … Over his 564 career games, ‘Bulletproof’ would average 10 points, 5 rebounds and under 1 block per game with Washington and Brooklyn. The versatile 6’9” frontcourt player would be selected #25 by the Indiana Pacers. The below are a list of 30 NBA Players Drafted Out Of High School. We live in a society that encourages and promotes capitalistic liberalism, where everybody has the freedom and opportunity to make as much money as they can, however, they can. ‘The Definition’ would end his career averaging 9 points and 3 rebounds per game, placing slightly ahead of Kwame Brown. This is where the comparison should stop between the two high school draftees from the 2003 NBA Draft. This sample size was enough for the 6’9” power forward to declare for the 2000 NBA Draft. With the 2018 NBA draft just recently being completed and signs of the ‘one and done’ rule possibly going to the waste side in the near future, this list will explore the 44 individuals who made the life-changing decision to forgo the university experience and opt into the NBA lifestyle. [1] Contrary to popular belief, the player does not have to play at least a year in college basketball: 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, as Mitchell Robinson and Darius Bazley did; or even hold themselves back a year in high school before declaring for the draft, like with Anfernee Simons or Thon Maker. At 6’10” James Lang was a risk the Charlotte Hornets were willing to take at pick 48 in the 2003 NBA Draft. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. During his 2004-05 season with South Kent Prep. This success led the 6’7” swingman to forgo attending Oklahoma State University and declare for the NBA Draft. NBA teams will hit some and miss some. In 2018 The LNM Institute of Information Technology located in Jaipur, India was benefiting from the 7’2” 22-years-old’s upside. His numbers would pick, up as he would retire averaging 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The 6 foot point guard would declare for the draft and be selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 13th pick. The 6’10" forward declared himself as an early entrant after a senior season at Alief Elsik High School in Texas where he averaged 28 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks, 4 assists and 4 steals per game. Suntino Korleone Young was 6’7” and 220 pounds coming off averaging 21 points and over 10 rebounds per game at Hargrave Military College. King James is the best player to come out of the stacked 2003 NBA Draft, he is the best player to ever forgo college… The Hornets would proceed to waive him, but, one can only assume that the 11 career points Lang tallied up over the 55 minutes in 11 games, where indeed in the low post. That was 10 years before he would win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award while playing in Toronto and averaging 15 points and 2 assists in 25 minutes per game. His averages at Cypress Creek High School in Florida of 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists would earn him the title of 2002 Mr. Basketball Florida, and the Jordan Classic MVP by scoring 23 points and collecting 17 rebounds in the game. After playing for Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School in Akron where he averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him with the first overall selection. Despite Brad Miller not being selected at all in 1998, this would not be the Pistons’ biggest draft mistake in history. In 2005 Martell Webster averaged over 19 points in the McDonald’s All-American, Jordan Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit games. The Los Angeles Clippers would select Miles 3rd overall and he would then proceed to play seven season with a total of 11,730 minutes played, which is 14th most for a career from that draft class, despite missing two seasons with a knee injury. The last class of NBA draftees and free agents allowed to enter the NBA directly from high school came into the NBA in 2005. In his first 5 seasons, he played over 44 games just once, it would not be until the 2010-11 season after signing with the Golden State Warriors that Wright would have a breakout season. He … Played senior year in Coppell High School before beginning his professional international career. July 30, 2005: Under commissioner David Stern, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed on a new six-year collective bargaining agreement which, among many … [12][13][14], After Dawkins and Willoughby, no high schoolers were drafted for 14 years, though several players entered the league without playing college basketball. In his 3 career games, he made 5 of 10 field goals and both his free throws accumulating 13 points in 15 career minutes played. ^ 1: 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. A twelve-year career in the best basketball league in the world after being drafted directly from Oak Hill Academy in Virginia is impressive. [8], In 1974, the NBA's rival, the ABA, drafted high school star Moses Malone. Returned to playing professionally in Brazil. Played in Brazil, Spain, and Italy before making his NBA debut in 2015. Against the San Antonio Spurs he made 8 of 14 shots, perhaps Garnett and Sprewell thought that was too many touches, for that was his last game in the NBA. The best player on earth right now was originally selected first overall in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. ‘S.T.A.T’ played 14 seasons in the NBA and averaged over 20 points in half of them on his way to becoming a 6-time All-Star. In 2004, the Wolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Lakers; Garnett was named Most Valuable Player that year. ‘Bassy’ would play 10 seasons with 8 different teams while averaging 21 minutes, 7 points and 3.5 assists. was 6’7” and 220 pounds coming off averaging 21 points and over 10 rebounds per game at Hargrave Military College. Prior to being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2005 with the 56th overall selection, the Pistons regarded the 6’10” forward as having the. LeBron James was selected 27 spots before Perkins and has scored 27,000 more points. The star freshman's injury is brought up as a case for allowing players to go straight to the NBA from high school, rather than risk future earnings in college. His 13,093 career points places him 9th in his draft class and solidifies O’Neal as a high school draftee who had success in the NBA. Andrew Bynum said "That's something I'll never understand. The 2005 Slam Dunk champion spent his senior year playing at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia where he averaged 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks. The first player to go straight to the NBA from high school. Having to be at least one year removed from high school is an archaic legislation, disguised under the premise of helping young adults and college basketball. Now in his 13th season, Smith’s best was 2011-12 with the Hawks where he averaged 19 points and 9.5 rebounds. Monta Ellis, Lanier (Mississippi) High School. Jefferson would play 3 seasons for the Celtics averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds. Two draftees went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in their first season: LeBron James and 2002 draftee Amar'e Stoudemire. Green’s best years came after returning from two years of pro basketball in Russia, to currently average almost 10 points per game for his career. He then played 19 successful seasons with 7 NBA teams. The future 8-time All-Star would average 26 points, 18 rebounds, 8 blocks and 3 assists, earning him a Player of the Year award from 5 different organizations as well as his performance at the McDonald's All American game and the Jordan Classic earned him MVP honors. Garnett would become a full-time starter by his second season and retired after 21 seasons with career averages of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Critics say that high school players are not mentally and physically mature or prepared enough to handle the pressure of professional play. During his 15 year career, ‘T-Mac’ would become a 7-time All-Star as well as a 2-time scoring champion. His best season was 2007-08 when he averaged nearly 12 points and 12 rebounds per game. He played in the ABA until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. During his best season, the 6’11” power forward from Glynn Academy in Georgia, averaged 10 points and over 7 rebounds per game. After completing 13 seasons the career averages rest at 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1.5 assists over 824 games for the 2000 California Gatorade Player of the Year. “J-Smoove” began his NBA career at the age of 19 when the Atlanta Hawks selected him 17th overall in the 2004 draft. [19] 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. There's a lot of players that have to get developed. ‘J.R Swish’ would be selected with the 18th pick by the New Orleans Hornets in 2004. 1998 was a tremendous year for Al Harrington. Come along on the Ricky Sanchez ride for a moment. Kobe Bean Bryant averaged 31 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for Lower Merion in Pennsylvania, then the Naismith/Gatorade/USA Today Player of the Year winner would declare himself eligible for the 1996 NBA Draft and that he would only sign with Los Angeles Lakers. Garnett led the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff berths and was a multiple All-Star during his time with the team. Ellis’ best season was his 5th when he averaged 25 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. When in actuality, the forcing of young men to attend university and occupy a scholarship with zero intention of ever completing a degree, has done nothing to improve the lives as people or improve their skills as players. ‘Sweet Lew’ began his 16-year career averaging just 7 minutes a game at age 19. Over his 8 year career, Willoughby has accumulated 2930 total points, which is eleven thousand short of the player who was drafted right after him. The only thing noteworthy to North American basketball fans is that he played for the Harlem Globetrotters. I anticipated that the college freshmen would earn significantly higher salaries than the high school seniors given the marketability of well-known college athletes and the NBA’s ever-growing salary cap, but there was a relatively small difference bet… The 6’5” shooting guard would not come close to replicating any statistics near those in the NBA. [6] He finally entered the league in the 1963–64 season and played four seasons in the NBA and American Basketball Association (ABA). The Phoenix Suns drafted the 6’10" Stoudemire 9th overall in 2002. In his final year at Thornwood High School in Illinois, the 6’11” Curry averaged 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. In 2004 Sebastian Telfair was the New York Gatorade Player of the Year, in the same year he had 2 points and 11 assists in 20 minutes during the McDonald’s All American game. Prior to being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2005 with the 56th overall selection, the Pistons regarded the 6’10” forward as having the “feet of a small forward, he was so nimble.” Those nimble feet would get him into just 11 NBA games in his first two seasons. This, however, is exactly what David Stern decided to do as commissioner of the NBA. Despite the success of some high school players drafted, the entry of high school players into the NBA remains controversial. Universities are wary of spending time recruiting, as many players are financially motivated to turn pro fresh out of high school. In his 7 seasons in L.A, he averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds, a little lower than the 22/17 he was averaging for St.Joseph’s High School in New Jersey. he averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds. It wasn't the best decision for each one, but for a select group of superstars, skipping college paid off. 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. "[23] 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.[24]. The process of jumping directly from high school to the professional level is also known as going prep-to-pro. Since being selected 52nd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 2015, the only NBA experience Satnam Singh Bhamara has is from playing in the 2015 and 2017 Summer Leagues with the Mavericks. Just by taking a look at his stats, it can be argued that he is certainly in the GOAT conversation. After a 2003 season at Starkville High School in Mississippi that saw him be named the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, Travis Outlaw declared for the 2003 NBA Draft. Beginning 2005, both the NBA and the players' union started to discuss the possibility of implementing a new age limit. This production was enough for the Utah Jazz to use their 23rd selection on him in the 2000 NBA Draft. In December 2019, a recent report suggested that the NBA was looking to reverse their original ruling from 2005 to go back to having the age limit be 18 years old. In the 2015 draft, Indian-born Satnam Singh Bhamara, who did not qualify academically to go to college, went straight to the NBA draft as a postgraduate student with him being at the IMG Academy for five years. The 6’8” forward was drafted out of. There were 8 players drafted out of high school in 2005 before a rule prohibiting it went into effect. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. The last player who was drafted from high school at 18, was Amir Johnson. Having just completed his 17th season with his sixth team, Chandler’s career averages are 8 points and 9 rebounds. His 12 point, 7 rebound average while being hampered by injuries, has him higher on this list. 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. Originally slated to attend Duke, ‘S.Dot’ declared for NBA Draft and was selected 4th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004. Dwight Morrow High School in New Jersey, with a career average of 17.7 minutes played with 6 different teams, he is most remembered for blocking a Kareem Abdul Jabbar skyhook into the crowd during a 1981 playoff game. averaged 31 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for Lower Merion in Pennsylvania, then the Naismith. [7], In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decision Haywood v. National Basketball Association ruled 7–2 against the NBA'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. His career high in points and rebounds came in the 2001-02 season at 7 and 3 respectively. The 6’8” forward was drafted out of Dwight Morrow High School in New Jersey, with a career average of 17.7 minutes played with 6 different teams, he is most remembered for blocking a Kareem Abdul Jabbar skyhook into the crowd during a 1981 playoff game. Ball was selected 3rd by the Charlotte Hornets, while Hampton was selected by the Denver Nuggets via the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans as the 24th pick of the 2020 draft. 1 picks of the NBA Draft since 1990, only two have reached the sports' pinnacle, the Hall of Fame — Shaquille O'Neal (Magic, 1992) and Allen Iverson (76ers, 1996). Also, starting in the 2020-21 season, the NBA G League implemented an alternative method for high school players to play professionally with the NBA G League Ignite, a select team featuring a mix of veterans and young prospects from as early as their senior years of high school. In 1997, another All-Star caliber player, Tracy McGrady, was selected by the Toronto Raptors. Swift, however, only managed to play 97 career games while averaging 4 points and 4 rebounds before being released by the Oklahoma City Thunder three days before Christmas in 2009. The Los Angeles Clippers drafted Chandler with the 2nd overall pick in 2001, after the 7’1” center led Dominguez High School in Compton to a state championship. The Hornets would draft him at 13, then trade him to the Lakers. In the 2018 draft, Anfernee Simons from the IMG Academy was also drafted in the NBA with the 24th pick, with Simons being a postgraduate there like Singh three years prior. In other major sports, such as baseball and hockey, it is common for young players to develop in their minor league systems. Young is most famous for being the ‘poster boy’ for David Stern raising the NBA minimum draft age. Attempting to play through a back injury hurt his career averages of 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. Previously played in both youth squads and professionally in Turkey, Moved to the United States in 2009 and played basketball in his senior year of high school, Left high school after his junior year in 2009. King James is the best player to come out of the stacked 2003 NBA Draft, he is the best player to ever forgo college and enter the NBA and he is arguably the best player to play in the NBA. Martell would play for only 2 teams over his 10 seasons, 4 of which, he would play in less than 50 games. The Detroit Pistons selected him in the second round of the 2005 NBA draft. The Atlanta Hawks drafted William Wesley Willoughby with the 19th selection in the 1975 NBA draft. Please Leave a Like and Subscribe For More! As he continues to develop alongside the young Milwaukee Bucks, expect Maker to be higher on this list by the time his career is complete. Rick Sund would use the Pistons 40th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft to select Young. During his 785 games, he has made 1,172 shots beyond the arc. Whether this stems from the hype that surrounded him or because these individuals dislike players being drafted straight out of high school, it is not such a clear cut case concerning Brown. Miles. Since 2005, 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. McGrady used to success coming out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina, during his senior season he averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals per game. 's Age Limit", "American Basketball League Statistics 1938–39 To 1952–53", "Joe Graboski of Olympians Jumps From Preps to Pros", "Draft 2010 Prospects: Latavious Williams", "Sports of The Times; Young Star Stays Cool in Spotlight", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBA_high_school_draftees&oldid=1004821018, National Basketball Association high school draftees, National Basketball Association controversies, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game, The first player to play in the BAA/NBA without any college experience, The second player to play in the BAA/NBA without any college experience, The third and final player to play in the BAA before its merger as the NBA. In 2005 Gerald Green averaged 33 points,18 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks for Gulf Shores Academy High School in Texas. Position: F Drafted to: The Los Angeles Clippers Alma mater: East St. Louis High School (East St. Louis, Illinois) 2. There have been many great NBA players who were drafted right out of high school. The Atlanta Hawks drafted William Wesley Willoughby with the 19th selection in the 1975 NBA draft. [22] Out of all these players from this group that declared for 2020, only Kenyon Martin Jr. was selected in that year's draft, being taken by the Houston Rockets via trade with the Sacramento Kings in the second round as the 52nd pick; everyone else there went undrafted at the end. The are in chronological order. During the season Chandler averaged 26 points,16 rebounds and 7 blocks. This however doe not mean the player … The league and its players union announced a new rule that prevented players from entering the NBA draft straight out of high school. He came in ready and he dominated the league. The Golden State Warriors would select Ellis with the 40th pick overall. [99][100], On the other hand, proponents argue that there is no valid reason to exclude high school players. Smith was drafted 29th by the San Antonio Spurs in 1998, then traded that night to the Dallas Mavericks. When asked about The first Indian born player drafted to the NBA, Mark Cuban replied in 2015, "He's a project, but he has a lot of upside. Having played 13 seasons with 4 teams and at age 31, Amir Johnson has provided a good sample size to contribute to the legacy of high school draftees. ‘Baby Al’ would play 16 seasons, his best season would be 2008-09 when he averaged 20 points and 6 rebounds playing for the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks. The report on Lang included “Has NBA size to withstand the physical demands of playing in the low post.”. In 2008, high school star Brandon Jennings decided to skip college and play professional basketball in Italy. , drafted high school players, starting in the 2004 Draft 27,000 more.. 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