Ranking the 10 greatest NBA players drafted out of high school

1. LeBron James was an obvious NBA superstar dating back to high school.

And the award for ‘the most obvious No. 1 spot on any list ever made’ goes to LeBron James!

There’s no more debating it: LeBron is unquestionably in the conversation for the greatest basketball player of all time. He’s an automatic threat to score from every point on the floor, adapting his game over 20 years to fit his era and competition.

How many prospects do you know whose regular-season high school games were broadcast live on national television? That’s the LeBron effect. From St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to three separate franchises, ‘King James’ has changed cultures and put every team he played for in a position to compete at the highest level.

In his rookie season, LeBron averaged just under 21 points per game, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest. Although Carmelo Anthony gave him a run for his money in the Rookie of the Year race, the top player from the class was clear from the season’s onset. Since then, James has never missed an All-Star game or an All-NBA team.

He’s a four-time champion across three franchises, a four-time MVP and is the only player besides Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to surpass 37,000 career points.

Truly one of the most decorated athletes this game has, LeBron and NBA history are forever intertwined, making him far and away the best player to jump from high school to the pros.