The 20 Best High School Pro Basketball Draftees of All-Time

There's been more than 40 ballers who went prep-to-pro in the NBA's history. That's a lot of busts: Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Sebastian Teflair. But here's the thing, we don't usually think about the disappointments; we think about the great ones like Kobe, LeBron, and Moses.

When Kevin Garnett was drafted to the NBA in 1995, he opened up a new breed of athlete who went from the big man on campus to just a man working his way up in the big leagues.This particular breed gave us many great moments—from clutch performances to massive amounts of facials really awesome poster material. These 20 players were able to overcome their lack of experience and seamlessly join (and even dominate, at times) the NBA. With all the focus on college football's national signing day, we take a look at cats that didn't wait to get paid. Check out the 20 Best High School Pro Basketball Draftees of All-Time.

Written by Brian Josephs (@Bklyn_Rock)

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High School: Clifton J. Ozen (Beaumont, TX)
Pro Accomplishments: 1x NBA Champion
Teams: Celtics, Thunder
Career Stats: 6.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.4 BPG

It's hard to forget when Perkins got violated by Blake Griffin (which is affectionately known in some circles as getting "Perkined"). But still, Perkins is a pretty tough dude. He was never really a scorer—as you probably can tell by his stats—but what he lacks offensively he makes up for in his defensive game. Perkins is a reliable post-defender and does the dirty work to help out his team, and thusly, he's still relevant. With a style of play like this, it's cool to let Griffin-type dunks like that happen every now-and-then, right? Well, no, but Perkins still has a ring. Take that, Blake!

High School: Saint Patrick (Elizabeth, NJ)
Accomplishments: N/A
Teams: Pacers, Hawks, Warriors, Knicks, Nuggets
Career Stats: 13.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.9 SPG

Harrington doesn't have any MVPs, hasn't made the All-Star team, or anything of the sort and has a pretty ugly head on top of that. However, he has shown an above-average scoring ability, especially during his time with the Knicks, where he averaged 19.2 points, and decent ball-handling skills for a player his size. May not be enough to make us get up and cop a pair of Proteges, but it's enough to recognize him as one of the better NBA high school draftees.

High School: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA)
Accomplishments: 1x NBA Champion
Teams: Nets, Spurs, Pacers, Warriors, Bobcats, Bucks
Career Stats: 15.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.3 SPG

Stephen Jackson has had quite a few fails in his 12-year career, like breaking ground in new ways to injure oneself and some of his raps. But Jackson has been about that life (and that life) for a while. He has averaged double figures throughout the majority of his career and even has a ring. How many swag rappers can boast about that?

High School: Elsik (Alief, TX)
Accomplishments: 2x All-Star
Teams: SuperSonics, Magic, Wizards, Heat
Career Stats: 15.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG

You'd be ridiculously hard-pressed to find anybody disagreeing with how overpriced Rashard Lewis' contract with the Magic was; they were clearly expecting much more than what they got. The 6'10" forward had a solid jump shot in his prime, averaging 38.6 percent from beyond-the-arc (second to Seattle teammate Ray Allen). Lewis ended up holding the record for most three-pointers in Sonics history, prompting Orlando to sign him to that crazy six-year/$118 million contract. The Magic ended up getting Rashard Lewis-lite, whose production decreased year-by-year except for his 2009 All-Star season when he pushed Orlando toward the Finals. He's pretty far from his glory days with the Sonics, but if he can fulfill his duties as a role player for the Heat, that may be good enough.

High School: Prentiss (Prentiss, MS)
Accomplishments: All-Rookie Second Team
Teams: Celtics, Timberwolves, Jazz
Career Stats: 16.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.4 APG

You're not usually going to see an Al Jefferson play in the highlight reels, but don't sleep on him. The center has a solid post-game, putting up double-double numbers in 2006-07 and respectable stats now with the Jazz. He's one of the more talented players on that Utah squad, but his team-first attitude is something the NBA could use a lot more of. He's one of the more underrated players in the league.

High School: Saint Benedict's Preparatory School (Newark, NJ)
Accomplishments: N/A
Teams: Hornets, Nuggets, Knicks
Career Stats: 12.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG

J.R. Smith never really rose to All-Star levels, but he did have his flashes of brilliance. Look at his 45-point (11 three-pointers) performance against the Kings in 2009. He doesn't have anywhere near the amount of accolades a lot of players on this list have, but he may be looking at the Sixth Man of the Year Award this season because of how good he's become with the Knicks.

Smith is posting up career-highs and has become one of the team's more exciting players. He's throwing up game-winners, while making some crazy highlights. Like this ruthless reverse alley-oop against the Spurs. More of this please, J.R.

High School: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA)
Accomplishments: All-Rookie First Team
Teams: Bucks
Career Stats: 17.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.5 SPG

In 2006, the NBA made it a requirement for its athletes to be at least 19- years-old and one year removed from high school before joining the L. Regardless, Brandon Jennings was still going to get his work. The beast from Oak Hill Academy signed the Italian Lega A's Lottomatica Roma with $1.65 guaranteed and another contract with Underarmour worth $2 million. He quickly showed how much of a threat he was when Milwaukee drafted him the next year against the Warriors. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Jennings went on a blitzkrieg and scored 55 points—the most by a rookie in nearly 40 years. It was clear he was going to be the future of the Bucks' franchise.

High School: Lanier (Jackson, MS)
Accomplishments: 1x Most Improved Player
Teams: Warriors, Bucks
Career Stats: 19.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.7 SPG

Ellis has been putting up hellish amounts of points after being named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2007. It's not just about the number of points; the dude is a highlight real, pulling off those quick moves and flashy, impossible layups with an almost devilish glee. The thing about it, though, is that his skill has only been able to push Golden State to the playoffs just once—where they upset the 67-15 Mavericks in the first round. Ellis doesn't seem to be faring that much better with the Bucks, but no one can deny this guard's skill. He's not Dwyane Wade-good, but pretty good nonetheless.

High School: Dominguez (Compton, CA)
Accomplishments: 1x Defensive Player of the Year, 1x NBA Champion, 1x Olympic Gold Medalist
Teams: Bulls, Hornets, Bobcats, Mavericks, Knicks
Career Stats: 8.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.3 BPG

Chandler's stats aren't as impressive as some of the other players on this list, but it's not really about the numbers in his case. It's the presence. He became the defensive centerpiece on the Mavericks during their 2010-11 championship run, and a year later he did what had seemed impossible for a while: Help make the Knicks competent on defense. When Chandler joined New York in 2011, the Knicks went from 27th in the league in points allowed to 11th. New York's current success isn't all because of Chandler, but surely having the reigning Defensive Player of the Year helps.

High School: Eau Claire (Columbia, SC)
Accomplishments: 6x All-Star
Teams: Trail Blazers, Pacers, Raptors, Heat, Celtics, Suns
Career Stats: 13.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.8 BPG

Jermaine wasn't one of the rookies who set the league on fire in his first years. While Kobe Bryant was getting the attention, O'Neal was silent with the low amount of minutes he was receiving with the Portland Trail Blazers. It wasn't until he was traded to the Pacers that he became recognized as a threat. He became the go-to guy by his second season in Indiana and slowly took Reggie Miller's place as "The Man." Indy became one of the NBA's top-flight teams in the 2003-04 season and looked set to challenge for the championship the very next year. Unfortunately, the Pacers fell from relevance when the infamous "Malice at the Palace" happened. Although O'Neal is far past his Indiana peak, what he accomplished during that time stands out in the heads of many Indiana fans

High School: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA)
Accomplishments: 1x All-Rookie Second Team, 1x All-Defensive Second Team
Teams: Josh Smith
Career Stats: 15.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.2 BPG

Although Smith has yet to make an All-Star game, opponents and fans know he's a monster. Smith is one of the tougher front court defenders in the league and has been a force since joining the league, even becoming the youngest player ever to reach 1,000 blocks. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have a couple of posters in your name either. It's not too hard to see why he's the rock for the Atlanta Hawks with his athletic and defensive ability.

High School: Evans (Orlando, FL)
Accomplishments: N/A
Teams: Sixers, Nets, Jazz, Pistons
Career Stats: 12.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.4 BPG

"Chocolate Thunder" was one of the first to do it out of high school. After joining the L in 1975, Dawkins became known for posterizing the the backboard itself. The NBA ended up switching to breakaways rims because of the guy. Plus, with names like "the Rim Wrecker," "the In-Your-Face Disgrace," and "Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam," we have to wonder why naming your own dunks stopped being a thing.

Dawkins also helped the Sixers reach the 1977 and 1982 NBA Finals, where they lost both times.

High School: Cypress Creek (Orlando, FL)
Accomplishments: 1x All-NBA, 6x All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year
Teams: Suns, Knicks
Career Stats: 21.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.4 BPG

He loses fights with fire extinguishers and has never been taught defense. Thankfully, we can forgive him for the number of posters he gave us throughout his decade-long career, especially during his peak season in 2005 with the Suns and that incredible offense. STAT continued being a top-flight forward despite getting both microfracture and eye surgery.

At the turn of the decade, Stoudemire was tasked with leading the then-struggling Knicks to relevance and ended up leading them to their first winning record in 10 years. It'll be interesting to see how much better the Knicks will be with STAT's presence on the floor. New York is 10-6 since Stoudemire made his season debut on Jan. 1.

High School: Concord (Elkhart, IN)
Accomplishments: 6x NBA All-Star
Teams: SuperSonics, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Magic
Career Stats: 14.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 BPG

Kemp was set to play ball for Kentucky, but found himself in a bit of controversy over a couple gold chains, and had to go to JuCo. After a semester in which he didn't play ball, Shawn declared himself eligible for the '89 Draft.

After that rocky start, he had himself a pretty good career. He was part of a deadly duo with Gary Payton that made the Sonics one of the best teams of the '90s, a 6x NBA All-Star, and had a solid all-around game. But goodness gracious, those dunks! In that decade he was giving some of the most violent shitting-ons in NBA History. There wasn't any poster like a Reignman poster. During the '99 NBA lockout Kemp gained a considerable amount of weight and developed drug problems and was never the same. But we will still remember those always replayable highlights. We know Alton Lister will, too.

High School: Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, NC)
Accomplishments: 2x All-NBA, 2x Scoring Champion, 7x All-Star
Teams: Raptors, Magic, Rockets, Knicks, Knicks, Pistons, Hawks
Career Stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 SPG

Tracy McGrady does have that lazy eye, but he wasn't the one ready to go to sleep. T-Mac was putting opponents to sleep on an almost nightly basis throughout most of the last decade. Guarding the dude in his prime was nothing short of a nightmare—he could put you on a poster, violate your ankles, or own you with that killer jump shot. Then there's that time where he scored 13 points in 35 seconds against the Spurs. Pretty dope stuff.

It's still a surprise T-Mac never made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Back spasms and a microfracture knee surgery ended up robbing him of more opportunities to add to his NBA legacy, and he's now showing opponents who's boss in the Chinese Basketball Association. Luckily, McGrady left us with enough highlights to last a lifetime.

High School: Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Atlanta, GA)
Accomplishments: 3x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-NBA, 6x All-Star
Teams: Magic, Lakers
Career Stats: 18.4 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.2 BPG

Don't let his recent performance and drama with the Magic make you forget Dwight was the closest thing the league had to Superman at one point. He can't leap buildings in a single bound, but he can embarrass with monstrous dunks and disrespectful blocks.

Howard caught attention coming out of high school with his uncanny ability and his amazing physique (have you seen those shoulders, man?) He made a splash as soon as he came into the league, averaging a double-double in every season and leading Orlando to a Finals appearance in his fifth season. Although he didn't win and hasn't appeared in the Finals since, his three-time Defensive Player of the Year awards and five-time All-NBA selections is still impressive. He may not be as good right now, but how sweet would it be if Superman returns?

High School: Farragut Career Academy (Chicago, IL)
Accomplishments: 1x NBA Champion, 1x NBA MVP, 14x All-Star, 4x All-NBA, 1x Olympic Gold Medalist
Teams: Celtics, Timberwolves
Career Stats: 19.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.5 BPG

Soft don't live in Kevin Garnett's paint, and it hasn't for 17 years. K.G. became the first draftee to go straight from high school to the league in 20 years when he did it in 1995, and fortunately for him, that wasn't his only achievement. Garnett led the Timberwolves in scoring for 11 consecutive seasons and carried them to eight straight playoff appearances with his near-unmatched intensity, defense, and automatic jump shot.

But after years of never making it past the Western Conference Finals, K.G. was traded to the Celtics to form the "Big 3" with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The NBA great won his first ring in his first season there, validating his years of hard work and giving us one of the most emotional (and awkward?) post-championship moments ever.

Kevin Garnett. Beast in the paint. Sultan of the shit-talk.

High School: Petersburg (Petersburg, VA)
Accomplishments: 1x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 3x NBA MVP, 4x All-NBA, 12x All-Star, NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Teams: Braves (Clippers), Rockets, 76ers, Bullets, Hawks, Bucks, Spurs
Career Stats: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.3 BPG

The Moses of less biblical proportions, but don't tell that to Sixers fans. Instead of parting waters, he was parting post-defenders with his supreme rebounding and scoring ability. Malone was the archetypical center, enforcing his will upon opponents under the basket. His 587 offensive rebounds in the 1978-79 season and 6,731 career offensive rebounds are still NBA all-time records.

His late-70s, early-80s years are still the stuff of legend. Malone ended his stay in Houston in 1982 with his second MVP season, where he averaged 31.1 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. He then went to Philly where he joined Dr. J to form one of the NBA's fiercest duos ever. It was a success with the 76ers going "fo', fi', fo'" instead of "fo', fo', fo'" on their way to the championship. And Moses became the only player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVPs for two different teams. It was the '80s, shorts were high, and Malone became one of the greatest centers of all-time.

High School: Saint Vincent-Saint Mary (Akron, OH)
Accomplishments: 1x NBA Champion, 3x NBA MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 6x All-NBA, 8x All-Star, 1x Scoring Champion, NBA Rookie of the Year, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist
Teams: Cavaliers, Heat
Career Stats: 27.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, 1.7 SPG

There are few players over the past decade in any sport who've inspired as much heated debate, controversy, brain aneurysms, and dubious ESPN moments as LeBron James. That's what being one of the most hyped athletes ever and having a $90 million Nike deal straight out of high school can do. He doesn't have the amount of hardware our No. 1 pick on this list has, but being considered the best basketball player in the world has to be worth something, right? It's not like it took him that long to adjust when he came into the league. The King established himself as one of league's elite and led the always-hardluck Cavs to the Finals in 2007 (his fourth season!).

Of course a player with that unfathomable amount of skill lends himself to criticism, like toward his will to win, how he left Cleveland, or The Decision. But several burnt jerseys, three NBA MVPs, and a ring later, you better watch the throne.

High School: Lower Merion (Ardmore, PA)
Accomplishments: 5x NBA Champion, 1x NBA MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 14x All-Star, 10x All-NBA, 2x Scoring Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist
Teams: Lakers
Career Stats: 25.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.5 SPG

There's a couple of things you normally don't say if you're a basketball player: You can beat the Dream Team, fuck you to the media, and openly diss critics. However, if you've been at the top of the game for as long Kobe has, you kind of have license to do so. Bryant is one of those stars blessed with raw talent who molded it into its full potential. He stands as one of the most decorated ballers still playing. At 34, Bryant still isn't slowing down with his jump shot that seems to have aged like fine wine (and he still has hops!).

The Black Mamba has given us a lot of exciting memories throughout his career, from the greatness of that Shaq/Kobe alley to the legendary 81-point performance (Don't try the "It's just the Raptors argument." How many other players have done that? We're waiting). Part of what makes him so elite, though, isn't just his talent but his instinctual will to win. They don't teach you that in college.