Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA: 30 best careers from players who skipped college

By Josh Cornelissen

LeBron James, Miami Heat and Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers. Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images
LeBron James, Miami Heat and Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers. Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
23 of 31
Next
Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler, Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images /

30 best careers from players who skipped college – 9. Tyson Chandler

Tyson Chandler came into the league in 2001, part of the first draft that prominently featured high school players. Chandler went second overall, just behind Kwame Brown and two picks ahead of Eddy Curry. He fashioned himself a skilled outside big man in the vein of Rasheed Wallace and entered the league ready to show off what he could do.

That never materialized, and he quickly realized his ticket to a role in the league was playing inside. He focused on developing as a rebounder and rim protector and carved out a role for himself in a league that was shifting towards offensive guards. Chandler’s athleticism and quickness on defense allowed him to make an impact even as his offensive skillset stalled shy of stardom.

That turned out to be his calling card in the NBA. While the careers of Brown and Curry floundered, Chandler’s took off. He became a three-time All-Defense selection, culminating in winning the 2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year award and with it, an All-NBA nod. He won a title anchoring the defense for the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, and an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

In total, he played 1,160 games over a 19-year career, which ranks within the top-60 all-time. Playing inside his role as a rim running center on offense, his 59.7 field goal percentage for his career ranks fourth-highest all-time. He blocked shots, rebounded and did what was asked of him. He ended up with a solid career when all was said and done.