Up until the summer of 2006, the NBA allowed for players to enter the draft straight from high school, with no age limit whatsoever.
Between 1976 and 1994, no players attempted such a feat, but in 1995, an 18 year old Kevin Garnett gave the draft a go, inspiring a whole generation of players after him to do the same. Since Garnett, there has been at least one player making the jump from high school to draft when it was still allowed.
The 2005 collective bargaining agreement put an end to the practice, with the league arguing that it would benefit young players to wait until they were 20 years old before entering the draft. The league and players union compromised on 19 years old, ushering in the current era of college one-and-done players that we are experiencing now.
Below are three notable players from that final class of 2005.
Gerald Green – 1st Round, 18th Overall (Boston Celtics) – Green did not play high school basketball until his sophomore year, but by the time he had finished his senior year at Gulf Shores, he was averaging 33 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocked shots per game. He was named an All-American and was the high scorer in the 2005 McDonald’s All-American finishing with 24 points. He also won the McDonald’s All-American Slam Dunk Contest that year.
Widely considered the No. 1 recruit in the country, Green originally committed to Oklahoma State University, but later decided to enter the NBA Draft, where he was taken by the Boston Celtics.
Green was eventually sent to various D-League teams before being recalled and activated again on February 21. He went on to appear in 32 games total while averaging 11.8 minutes, 5.2 points, and 1.2 rebounds per game, and also made a few appearances on ESPN’s Sportscenter top plays.
Green won the NBA Dunk Contest in 2007, and was later a part of the offseason trade that brought Kevin Garnett to the Celtics.
After spending half of the season in Minnesota, Green was traded to Houston, and signed with the Dallas Mavericks before the 2008-2009 season. After leaving the Mavericks following the conclusion of the season, Green has since gone on to play with Russian and Chinese professional teams, the L.A. Lakers, Nets, Pacers, and Suns, where he currently is this season. Green finally enjoyed a breakout season during the 2013-2014 season in Phoenix, averaging a career-high 15.8 points, 1.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 41 points on Mar. 6, 2014 against Oklahoma City. He is still a member of the Suns, and is currently averaging 12.5 points, 1.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game on 20.5 minutes per game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvR1x3PJmIw
Monta Ellis – 2nd Round, 40th Overall (Golden State Warriors) – Ellis attended Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was named Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year 2005 and a USA Today All-American after his senior year.
He scored a total of 4,167 points in his prep career, making him second all-time in Mississippi history. He received first-team all-state recognition from the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger in all four of his high school seasons and was named Mississippi’s “Mr. Basketball” by the paper in 2005.[3]
Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals and the No. 3 player in the nation in 2005, Ellis originally committed to Mississippi State University, but later decided to enter the NBA draft.
Ellis was taken by Golden State, and was inserted into the starting lineup late in the season. He finished his rookie season with averages of 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 18.1 minutes per game.
The following season, Ellis averaged 16.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game on his way to winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
During the 2007-2008 season, Ellis became the ninth guard in league history to average at least 20 points per game while averaging 60 percent from the field in a single month after making 60.2 percent of his shots in the month of February. Ellis finished the season averaging 20.2 points per game while shooting a career-high average 53.1 percent from the field, and was rewarded with a six-year, $67 million contract extension with the Warriors, making him the highest paid player on the team.
Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in March of 2012, where he would play for the next season, before signing with the Dallas Mavericks in July of 2013, where is his today. He is currently averaging 19.4 points 4.5 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game on 44 percent shooting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Cqnm9zDkA
Andrew Bynum – 1st Round, 10th Overall (Los Angeles Lakers) – Bynum attended St. Joseph High School, in Metuchen, New Jersey during his junior and senior year. As a senior, he averaged 22.4 points, 16.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game. He played in the 2005 McDonald’s All-American Game, scoring nine points and grabbing five rebounds. He originally committed to the University of Connecticut, but would later decide to declare for the draft, while still just 17 years old.
When he was selected by the Lakers as the 10th overall pick, he became the youngest player to be drafted in NBA history, and when he made his season debut on Nov 2, 2005, he became the youngest player to appear in a game. Fearless from the start, he made headlines in January 2006 when he went toe-to-toe against Shaquille O’Neal during a game against the Miami Heat, and received a technical foul when he shoved O’Neal after driving past him for a dunk. He finished his rookie season with averages of 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, though he did score a then-career-high of 20 points and 14 rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats on Nov. 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Bynum came into his own during the 2007-2008 season, averaging 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks on 63 percentage shooting but went down with a knee injury just 35 games into the season. He would eventually go on to win back-to-back NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, fighting through knee injuries during both postseason runs.
Bynum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Aug. 10, 2012, but ended up missing the entire season with knee issues. He has since played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, but has not made signed with a team this season as he undergoes treatment for his problematic knees.
Bynum currently has career averages of 11.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zL_meBbHtw
