Top 10 NBA players who never played college basketball ft. Luka Doncic, LeBron James and more
Between international players and none-and-done guys, many NBA stars made their mark without playing college basketball. While the league required draft-eligible prospects to be a year removed from high school in 2006, many hoops legends before that rule did not play in college. Many came to the NBA from international basketball and didn't bother with the college game.
Here are the best.
Top 10 NBA players who never played college basketball
#10, Yao Ming
Before Victor Wembanyama, there was Yao Ming – another massive international center. The 7-foot-6 Ming came to the NBA from China, went first in the 2002 draft and had a great, if injury-prone, career. A 2016 entrant into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Yao averaged 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
#9, Giannis Antetokounmpo
The "Greek Freak" is an eight-time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP. Another international player, Giannis didn't play in college but has already amassed 17,907 points and 7,493 rebounds. And he's only 29 years old.
#8, Tracy McGrady
McGrady went pro out of high school and was chosen ninth in the 1997 NBA draft. A 2017 selection for the Basketball Hall of Fame, McGrady was a seven-time All-Star and boasts career averages of 19.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg.
#7, Luka Doncic
Perhaps the most heralded pre-Wembanyama European NBA import, Doncic has lived up to the hype since being picked third in the 2018 draft. He'll turn 25 this month and has already been a five-time All-Star. He's averaging 34.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 9.5 assists per game this season. If his career continues as it's going, he'll end up even higher on this list.
#6, Moses Malone
One of the earliest high school-to-pro players, Malone went to the ABA's Utah Stars. In a two-decade career, Malone was perhaps the best rebounder of his era. A 2001 Hall of Fame pick, Malone was a 13-time All-Star and a three-time MVP. He finished with 29,580 points and 17,834 rebounds between the NBA and ABA.
#5, Nikola Jokic
He'll turn 29 years old on Monday. The 2014 second-round pick has paid off. A six-time All-Star and two-time MVP, Jokic led the Nuggets to their first title in 2023. A season ago, Jokic missed averaging a triple-double by a handful of assists. He has already amassed 120 triple-doubles in the NBA.
#4, Kevin Garnett
Nobody had gone as high in the draft as a high school player as Garnett did when he went fifth in 1995. In a two-decade career, the 2020 Hall of Fame inductee averaged 17.8 ppg and 10.0 rpg. A 15-time All-Star and member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, Garnett was phenomenal.
#3, Dirk Nowitzki
Taken ninth in the 1998 NBA draft, Dirk did much to combat the idea that European players were soft or unaggressive. He played for two decades and averaged 20.7 ppg and 7.5 rpg. A 14-time All-Star, Nowitzki was also picked for the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
#2, Kobe Bryant
The 13th pick in the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant was one of his era's defining stars. The 18-time All-Star averaged 25.0 ppg. A five-time NBA champion, Bryant also made a dozen All-Defensive teams and was included in the 75th Anniversary Team. Despite his death in a 2020 plane crash, Bryant will perhaps never be forgotten.
#1, LeBron James
Perhaps the greatest player of all time, James faced massive hype as the top pick of the 2003 draft. The 20-time All-Star has rarely failed to deliver in a career that he seen him become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. A four-time champ, James, at 39,868 points, is about to become the league's first 40,000-point scorer. He has topped 11,000 rebounds and is closing on 11,000 assists.