Young lebron 2

Age Restrictions in the NBA

  • Haywood vs NBA

    Spencer Haywood commences antitrust action against NBA, argued violation of Sherman Antitrust Act. Reached out of court settlement and allowed to play.
  • Moses Malone first player drafted out of high school

    Drafted out of Petersburg Virginia, Moses Malone was the first player to be selected straight from high school to the NBA
  • Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby granted access to NBA out of Highschool

    After Moses Malone, two other highschoolers, Dawkins and Willougby, were both allowed to be drafted into the NBA due to their financial hardship applications.
  • Kevin Garnett drafted #5 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves

    KG became the first player in 20 years to be drafted into the NBA when he was drafted in 1995. Him being drafted was the start of an explosion of high school athletes declaring for the draft and being drafted, including guys like Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady.
  • Kwame Brown, first player drafted #1 out of high school.

    Kwame Brown, first player drafted #1 out of high school.
    Kwame Brown becomes the first #1 pick in NBA Draft history to come straight out of high school.
  • Lenny Cooke decides to bypass college basketball and go straight to the NBA.

    Amid enticing agent promises that explicitly stated a dozen NBA teams were seriously considering him and at least three guaranteed they would take him in the 1st round if he was available Cooke chose to bypass college and declare himself eligible for the 2002 NBA Draft, a decision which ended his eligibility to play college basketball. To his surprise and disappointment, in the 2002 NBA Draft, all 29 NBA teams passed on Cooke in both rounds.
  • LeBron James drafted out of high school

    Drafted from St. Vincent- St. Mary high school where they went 27-0 and won the Division III state title.
  • Robert Swift Drafted by the Seattle Supersonics

    Robert Swift was drafted #12 overall in the 2004 draft and was very underwhelming in the NBA. He only played a combined 97 games in 4 NBA seasons, and eventually ended up playing semi-pro basketball. He was arrested for a DUI in 2011, had his house foreclosed on him in 2013 and was arrested for armed robbery in 2015. He came out as a heroin addict during the time of his arrest.
  • 2005 All-Star Game

    The 2005 All-Star game featured 7 players who were drafted straight out of high school. This is a big piece of evidence that shows how the high school to pros was working as a whole and was a viable option for a lot of athletes that did not want to play in the NCAA.
  • One and Done rule implemented

    Players in the NBA draft must be at least 19 years old and a year removed from their high school class graduation
  • Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner) says NBA is ready to get rid of One and Done rule

    “My personal view is that we’re ready to make that change,” said Silver. “Given that Condoleezza Rice and her commission has recommended to the NBA those one-and-done players now come directly into the league, and in essence the college community is saying we don’t want those players anymore, that tips the scale in my mind that we should be taking a serious look at lowering our age to 18.”
  • NBA G League announces plan to offer contracts to "elite" high school players

    The NBA G League plans to offer high school athletes who are 18 years old and not yet eligible for the NBA draft $125,000 contracts to play professional basketball. This is a way that kids can go around the NCAA and make a living playing basketball without having to play a year of college basketball.