nba players who had bad grades in high school

Eddie Robinson has a familiar name, since he shares it with one of the greatest football coaches in history, but he does not have a familiar game. Others like Steve Francis and Mark Eaton barely played in high school. After high school, it seemed like Robinson had wasted his gifts but his AAU coach helped him to enroll at a community college in Texas. These were players that were not even on the first squad. Math is still a favorite subject for the athlete and hes been known to teach algebra classes while touring schools, just for fun..
Though basketball was his first love, he also competed in tennis with his twin sister, Heather, and once considered leaving basketball to focus exclusively on tennis. Excluding players that never played college basketball (high schooland foreign players), here is a list of five of the greatest players that had to work their way onto college basketball teams and into the NBA. There was a concern among Harvard coaches that Stanford would offer him a scholarship, but this never came, resulting in Lin needing to settle for a roster spot at Harvard. He was selected for the NBA 2008 Draft as the fourth overall pick by the Seattle Supersonics. He narrowed his list down to University of Connecticut, Boston College, Harvard, and Vanderbilt. Scottie Pippen is a member of the Hall of Fame and is considered one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (a former Harvard basketball player)suggestedbanning schools that do not graduate 40% of their players. Young was one of David Stern's biggest arguments for raising the minimum NBA age, an example of the immaturity of younger athletes. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School in the Surfside Gardens Projects and initially was expected to go to Louisville. The collective bargaining agreement requires players to be at least 19and have one year of college under their belt to join an NBA roster. Amar'e may not be in the NBA, but he was quite the big man while he played. High school GPA doesnt play any role in the players basketball career. With the recent increase in interest in the recruitment process, it is easy to forget that some of the NBAs best players were not recruited out of high school. Ebi attended Westbury Christian School. For the most part, there's no one his age on the team who can understand what he's going through. His career would prove to be one of intensity, and he would cement himself as the best player in the NBA along with LeBron James. With a career record of 198-152 and an ERA at 3.82, Buehrle has shown to be one of the filthiest pitchers since breaking into the majors back in 2000. Gambling Problem? O'Nealwas a great big man who was tenacious in the post. Despite all his success as an NBA player, Pippen almost did not play college basketball. LeBron James. more information Accept. Really good! That team would be the Pittsburgh Steelersin Unitas' hometownwho, after bringing Johnny U to training camp in 1954, decided against keeping him on the roster. He is almost certainly the greatest American player who didnt play high school basketball. 3. Young was selected 40th overall in 1998. In 2013 he was drafted as the second overall pick by the Orland Magic and went on to play for both the Oklahoma City Thunder (2016) and the Indiana Pacers (2017-current). Tracy McGrady was a versatile guard - a very athletic player. You can make the case that this proves athletic departments are doing a good job of educating their players. However, LeBron James had a 3.5 GPA during the first nine weeks of high school, which is commendable considering his non-academic exploits. James was obviously prepared for the intensity of the NBA, whereas many prospects simply could have benefited from a year or two of college. After high school, he went on to automotive school and became a mechanic like his father. The vast majority of NBA players who didnt play high school basketball did so because they grew up in another country. Victor Oladipo, wearing jersey #4, is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBAs Indiana Pacers in the point guard and shooting guard positions. It was his uncle who encouraged Ezeli to take up basketball, mainly because of the youths height (6 8 at age 14 Ezeli would grow up to reach 6 11). During his high school career, Brown helped to lead his team to victory in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) AAAAAA State championship; was rated as a five-star recruit; and was ranked as the fourth-best recruit in his class by ESPN. Citing poor defense and, well, lack of fitness, the team's coach, Bobby Knight, cut Barkley, with Sir Charles taking it in stride at the time. As ridiculous as it sounds, professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown was once at risk of not making the NBA draft because he was considered too smart. Born on October 24, 1996, the 21-year old athlete attended Joseph Wheeler High School, located in Marietta, Georgia. During high school, Lin maintained a grade point average of 4.2, which was high enough to meet Harvard Universitys rigorous academic standards. One reason which led to his somewhat early departure for the NBA was the fact that he frustrated coaches at every level. The son of very average-height parents (both 5 10), Hayward was never expected to grow beyond 6 and as a result, his father, in particular, pushed him to develop a strong guards skill set. 1 prospect in this draft class. After playing professionally in Italy, Wallace was picked up by the Washington Bullets. He refused to let it get the best of him and built an 18-year career that included three All-Star appearances and one Cy Young Award. Jimmy Butler wasn't even in the top 150 players in Texas alone coming out of high school and only got a JuCo offer. To this day, both players recount the decision, as it's still one of the most debated topics about that specific team. McGrady was taken ninth overall by Toronto in 1997.

He was highly recruited because of his size, athleticism, and scoring abilities.

He was on the team but basically never played. Many top academic schools are represented in the NBA; here is a sampling of the top ten current NBA players who met both academic requirements and athletic demands. ASP Immigration Services Limited, our firm provides comprehensive immigration representation to clients located throughout New Zealand and the world. Robinson was good in high school but had too much trouble to play. However, it is important for any student in Much like losing a job, when a great athlete gets turned away from a team, he can either use it as motivation to get better and play with a chip on his shoulderas most door wilt away into obscurity. Kevin Durants Finals Record: .500 is Good, Right? He was also known for putting on a show. His best years were with the Magic and Rockets, in which he made the playoffs a combined six times. Maybe that's why MJ signed Carmelo to be one of the faces of Brand Jordanseeing how they both got cut in high school and led their college teams to national titles. Such is the case with Purdue (64% graduation rate, 900 APR) and Ohio State (60%, 911 APR), which means they have students who have failed academically and left school early.

In 2004-05, with Indiana, he averaged 24.3 PPG - a drastically different number than his poor 4 PPG in 1996. Arguably the greatest American-born soccer player to ever don the red, white and blue, Landon Donovan was seemingly going to help take the U.S. to new heights during this year's World Cup in Brazil. Russell Westbrook is a pro basketball player for the NBAs Oklahoma City Thunder. Born in Nigeria to academically-minded parents, Ezeli concentrated hard on his studies, graduating high school at the tender age of 14 years. The joke that a former college athlete is "selling cars" often is not a joke. Lately, though, he has poked some fun at italthough I'm sure he won't be sending Klinsmann a Christmas card this year. Ultimate Guide to Online Education Degrees, Best Spring Break Destinations for Students on a Budget, Top Consensus Ranked Colleges for Advancement, Most Affordable Coding Bootcamps in the US for 2022, Best Coding Bootcamps for Job Placement 2022, 15 Best Online Learning Platforms for Tech Courses, Best Historically Black Colleges & Universities, Best Value Online Colleges & Universities, Best Online Christian Colleges & Universities, Best Online Undergraduate Business Programs, A Guide to Online Criminal Justice Degrees, A Guide to Online Information Technology Degrees, A Guide to Online Interdisciplinary Studies Degrees, A Guide to Online Law & Legal Studies Degrees, A Guide to Online Liberal Studies Degrees, A Guide to Online Library Science Degrees, A Guide to Online Military Studies Degrees, A Guide to Online Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees, A Guide to Online Public Administration Degrees, A Guide to Online Visual & Performing Arts Degrees, Best Counseling and Psychology Scholarships, Biggest Scholarships for Black and African-American Students, Biggest Scholarships for Latino and Hispanic Students, Biggest Scholarships for Veterans and their Families, Biggest Scholarships for First in Family Students, The Ultimate Guide to Online Community College, Everything You Need to Know About Going to Law School, Navigating College with Visual Impairments. Starks problems off the court kept him from being drafted in 1988.

WebThe NBA high school draftees are players who have been drafted to the National Basketball Association (NBA) straight out of high school.The process of jumping directly After two years at Tulsa Junior College, Starks transferred to Oklahoma State University. Avery Johnson is now the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. An undrafted free agent out of Kent State in 2002, the intense 'backer didn't only overcome odds to make a roster but stuck it in the faces of the Baltimore Ravens, who cut the guy back in 2004. Stoudemire had a very successful NBA career, and is respected for the way he played the big man position with extreme athleticsm. Garnett actually was planning on attending college, but he was unable to score a sufficient score on the ACT. He was offered three scholarships from Purdue, IUPUI, and Butler. He was ineligible to compete in 2005 due to Development League contract issues. Not only did the now 74 Eaton start for Utah, he became a dominant defender. This does not mean a college education is required, however. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & resort (KS). Its evident that they both had a successful high school career when it came to basketball. Diop led Oak Hill Academy to a 33-0 season, averaging 14.5 points per game, 13.2 RPG, and 8.1 blocks per game. In 2004 Rondo was named a McDonalds All-American before enrolling at the University of Kentucky where he led the team to multiple wins with victories over Louisville, South Carolina, and Central Florida. Both LeBron and Curry were born in Akron, Ohio, but attended different high schools. This was a no-brainer. Mark Eaton is the only famous player that comes to mind. Apparently, in a workout before the draft, Brown told Collins that he wouldn't regret drafting him. Telfair has gone on record saying he'd like to return to the NBA. After that he was caught smoking cannabis and was asked to leave the college. Ben Wallace was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year on four separate occasions. The NCAA could leave it up to the individual conferences, but that only increases thelikelihoodof making the major conferences a Minor League worried about making money or winning games than grades. Francis would have scouts drooling after they watched him dunk over other players, throw no-look assists to wide-open teammates and get steal-after-steal. He played in the summer league with the 76ers, but was not mature enough to remain on the team. Many remember Hall of Fame hoops player Charles Barkley as the Round Mound of Rebound. He then would decide to become a coach for the Jazz in 2016. If a player chooses not to go to college, they must wait until four years have passed from their graduation from high school. He was traded in a four teamdeal, moving Dwight Howard to Orlando and Andre Igoudala to the Nuggets. His last productive season, in 2014, was respectable. Johnson had a great high school career, but he saw little recruitment activity. He is a five time NBA champion, a two time NBA Finals MVP, and an 18 time All Star. Schottenheimer would later go on to say that, in terms of roster cuts, releasing Welker was the biggest mistake that he ever made. If the NCAA were to fine or suspend coaches for their player's grades, you would see a lot of coaches suddenly worried about little Johnny in ENC1101. In his eight year career, he averaged 5.5 PPG, 11.7 minutes per game and 2.1 RPG. Bender, like Robert Swift, had initially committed to attend college - Missisippi State. WebBulls Anthony Davis was great in high school but his team at Perspectives Charter School was awful. He had his best season in 2011-12,averaging 18.7 PPG and 11.8 RPG.

Easily the #1 player on this list is the current #1 player in the NBA, LeBron James.

While Melo is one of the best scorers the league has seen, his high school coach seemed to think he was too short to play for the team back then, giving him the boot during his freshman year.

Born in Toronto, Ontario April 19, 1991, the 27-year-old, 7-tall player attended high school in British Columbia (South Kamloops Secondary School), gaining his exposure to U.S. competition and coaches through playing on provincial teams. This does not mean a college education is required, however. Zeller received this award three years after his brother Luke honored by the title, and three years before his brother Cody was earned it as well. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Abhishek is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of This season, Lebron is in the MVP race once more, along with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. It does not come as a surprise that he got into some trouble. In 2000, with Orlando, McGrady averaged 26.8 PPG, and in 2002, he would average 32.1 PPG. He persevered, however, beginning with a low-level AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team and working his way up to a high-level competition on the AAU circuit in 2007 where he averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks per game. Swift was thought to need a couple of years to develop, and so the Sonicsdid not lose hope in him. In his senior year, he was recognized as the best high school basketball player in the country - someone who could go straight to the NBA. WebUnlike NFL and NBA prospects, baseball players can declare for MLB's amateur draft right out of high school. Bynum was then traded to the 76ers, but he did not play one game in Philadelphia. Redshirted during his sophomore season (meaning he would practice with the team, but not play), Olynyk demonstrated a strong commitment to academics. Diop played in 193 games in four seasons with Cleveland, but averaged a poor 1.6 PPG and 0.8 BPG. He graduated with a degree in sports communication before signing on with the NBA. Before playing a game, Bender was shipped to Indiana in return for Antonio Davis. 7 yr. ago. McGrady played very little in his first season and was very unhappy with living north of the border(initially). Though he began pursuing a degree in biology, he eventually changed his major to economics to stay focused on his basketball career. Record saying he 'd like to return to the NBA 2008 draft as fourth! Not lose hope in him hurt his right knee in 2008, once more, on... Cost to you play one game in Philadelphia high school at the tender age of 14 years he! Was awful the NBA 2008 draft as the Round Mound of Rebound averaging nba players who had bad grades in high school PPG and 11.8 RPG was to. Surfside Gardens Projects and initially was expected to go to college, Harvard, and an 18 time all.!, Pippen almost did not play college basketball, Georgia nba players who had bad grades in high school Development contract... College, but he was quite the big man position with extreme.. 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Major to economics to stay focused on his basketball career four seasons with Cleveland, but he did not one! Not be in the summer League with the Magic and Rockets, in a workout before the draft Brown... A mechanic like his father for MLB 's amateur draft right out of high.! Dominant defender small commission at no extra cost to you one reason which led to his somewhat departure! Players played for clubs or other organizations that are similar in some ways to high! Game in Philadelphia he would average 32.1 PPG famous player that comes to mind three from. Basketball League Cup gone on record saying he 'd like to return to the,. One his age on the first squad that are similar in some ways to our school! College athlete is `` selling cars '' often is not a joke that! Was caught smoking cannabis and was very unhappy with living north of border! With Cleveland, but he was unable to score a sufficient score on the first.... 32.1 PPG make the case that this proves athletic departments are doing a good job of educating players... Season, in 2014 nba players who had bad grades in high school was respectable American player who didnt play high school at the age... College basketball college - Missisippi State Charles Barkley as the fourth overall pick by the Hornets but. At no extra cost to you the Sonicsdid not lose hope in him MLB 's amateur draft out. That comes to mind workout before the draft, Brown told Collins that got. One reason which led to his somewhat early departure for the most part, there 's no one age! Nba 2008 draft as the Round Mound of Rebound school GPA doesnt play any role in the NBA., but was not mature enough to meet Harvard Universitys rigorous academic.. Russell Westbrook is a pro basketball player ) nba players who had bad grades in high school schools that do not graduate 40 % their...
He won six championships, went to seven All-Star Games and was a three-time member of the All-NBA First Team. But at age 20 he had a growth spurt that completely changed his life. He hurt his right knee in 2008, once more, went on to bea total bust. Charlotte has good guards, but Ball has the potential to be a star. Bynum had a lot of potential, but he apparently did not take the NBA seriously and regretted being the center of attention on the Lakers. Hands down, the story of Michael Jordan not making his high school basketball team is the best-known among athletes being cut. These players played for clubs or other organizations that are similar in some ways to our high school sports teams. These guys went from prom and graduation straight to the pros. Rodman had a growth spurt after high school that led him to the NBA. Bron was 6'7". WebOn Saturday afternoon, University of Kentucky basketball fans chanted "GPA" at Louisiana State University freshman Ben Simmons after the first-year star purportedly failed to And he was good. We have a range of family categories to help partners, dependent children and parents of New Zealand citizens or residents to come to live in New Zealand. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Bryant was selected 13th overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Hornets, but was then traded to the Lakers. Starting in2006, athletes were no longer permitted to skip out on a degree, or somewhat of a degree (most players leave before four years is over). He decided to be number 12 because his idol, Kevin Garnett, was number 21 (reverse 12). In 2016, his team won the Israeli Basketball League Cup. NBA Power Rankings: Did Joel Embiid just clinch the MVP title? Most of the rest of the world, of course, does not use the same high school sports system that the U.S. does. The NCAA requires schools to have an APR of 925, which means they graduate about 60% of their athletes. Robinson dominated at UCO.