Who are the youngest players in NBA history?
In 2006, the NBA shut down the prep-to-pros pipeline, with the collective bargaining agreement stating that players must be at least 19 years old to be draft-eligible. While the NBA and NBPA have talked about lowering the age limit recently, the conversations ultimately fizzled out.
Before the NBA’s age limit took effect, who were the youngest players in the league? How did they fare? Let’s look back at 10 players who played in the NBA shortly after their proms.
Andrew Bynum: 18 years, 6 days
When Andrew Bynum was selected 10th overall in the 2005 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, he was only 17. By the time he suited up in his first NBA game, he had turned 18 roughly a week earlier. As a rookie, the 7-foot center appeared in 46 games, averaging just 1.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 7.3 minutes. However, Bynum would later become an All-Star and help the Lakers win two championships. Over his nine-year NBA career, Bynum averaged 11.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 55.6% from the field.
Jermaine O’Neal: 18 years, 53 days
O’Neal was 17 when he got selected No. 17 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996. As a rookie, he appeared in 45 games, averaging 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 10.2 minutes. He began to realize his full potential and emerge as a significant contributor during his fifth NBA season. After getting traded to the Indiana Pacers, he became a starter and increased his averages to 12.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. The following season, at 23, he became a first-time All-Star and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award after averaging 19 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. O’Neal would play 18 seasons in the league, becoming a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection.
Kobe Bryant: 18 years, 72 days
Bryant was selected No. 13 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 draft, but was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac. Bryant was the first guard to be drafted out of high school. As a rookie, he averaged 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.5 minutes across 71 games. In his sophomore season, his averages increased to 15.4 points and 3.1 rebounds, earning him his first All-Star selection. Bryant and James are the most successful prep-to-pro players of all time. Bryant eventually became a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, four-time NBA MVP and 18-time All-Star after jumping to the league out of Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania.
Darko Milicic: 18 years, 133 days
Milicic was selected No. 2 overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2003. He’s best known for being drafted right before future superstars Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Milicic won a championship with the Pistons as a rookie (despite playing sparingly) and then went on to stints with the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics. While Milicic is often referred to as a bust, he played for 10 years and earned $53,393,817 from his NBA contracts alone.
Stan Brown: 18 years, 139 days
Brown had a fascinating basketball journey, which started when the Philadelphia Sphas signed him while he was a junior in high school. The next year, he joined the Philadelphia Warriors of the Basketball Association of America (which later rebranded as the NBA). For nearly 50 years, he was the youngest player to appear in an NBA/BAA game. He was essentially a prep-to-pro player before that title existed. He also played for the Trenton Tigers of the American Basketball League before returning to the Warriors for another stint during the 1951-52 NBA season.
Bill Willoughby: 18 years, 156 days
After thriving at Dwight Morrow High School in New Jersey, Willoughby decided to skip college and enter the pros. The Atlanta Hawks selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the 1975 draft. After two seasons with the Hawks, he suited up for the Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and New Jersey Nets across his eight-year NBA career.
Tracy McGrady: 18 years, 160 days
After being named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball and USA Today’s High School Basketball Player of the Year, McGrady decided to enter the NBA out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina. The Toronto Raptors selected McGrady with the No. 9 overall pick in 1997. As a rookie, he averaged 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a block in 18.4 minutes across 64 games. McGrady would form a dynamic duo with his cousin Vince Carter. His career took off when he joined the Orlando Magic in 2000, becoming an All-Star and winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Over the course of his 15-year career, McGrady became a seven-time All-NBA selection and led the NBA in scoring twice.
Last year, McGrady told me: “I think players should have the freedom to come out of high school. Major League Baseball does it, you can do it in tennis. … If you look at our era, we had Kobe, KG, myself, LeBron, Dwight — these were the faces of the NBA, the guys who carried the torch when Michael Jordan retired.”
Yaroslav Korolev: 18 years, 181 days
Korolev started his professional career overseas at 16 years old, suiting up for Russian clubs Avtodor Saratov and CSKA Moscow. In the 2005 draft, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Korolev No. 12 overall. As a rookie, he averaged just 1.1 points in 5.3 minutes across 24 games. After two years (and just 34 games), Korolev returned to Russia, signing with Dynamo Moscow. He continued playing abroad until 2016, never returning to the NBA.
Andris Biedrins: 18 years, 217 days
Like Korolev, Biedrins began his professional career overseas at 16 years old, playing for BK Skonto in Latvia. The Golden State Warriors selected him No. 11 overall in the 2004 draft. As a rookie, he averaged 3.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.8 minutes across 30 games. He had his best season in 2008-09, averaging 11.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and a steal in 30 minutes per game. Biedrins played 10 seasons in the NBA, finishing his career with averages of 6.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
C.J. Miles: 18 years, 241 days
After becoming a McDonald’s All-American and Texas’ Mr. Basketball, Miles decided to bypass college. He was selected No. 34 overall in 2005 by the Utah Jazz — becoming one of the last players to enter the NBA from high school before the league added its age limit. As a rookie, Miles averaged just 8.8 minutes across 23 games. However, he would become a reliable role player who played 16 seasons in the NBA, suiting up for the Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics.
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