Youngest Age a Player could have been an NBA starter?

[dygaction]

Nobody talking about Shaq, age 17 at LSU, 13.9p/12r/1.9a/3.6b. I will take a mobile young Shaq over several starting centers.

[Im Your Father]

Nobody talking about Shaq, age 17 at LSU, 13.9p/12r/1.9a/3.6b. I will take a mobile young Shaq over several starting centers.

I'm pretty sure he 17 for pretty much that entire season too, since his birthday is in March. Wild that he was 20 for most of his NBA rookie season despite having spent 3 years at LSU.

[PistolPeteJR]

Wow this thread got derailed....

Melo led Cuse to a national title as a freshman and was pretty solid as a rookie. Could he have started for a bad team 2 years before he did? Maybe?

Grant Hill was about as polished a college freshman as I can recall even filling in at PG when Hurley got hurt. I realize he played all 4 years at Duke, but could he have been an NBA starter as a high school senior? Maybe?

Couple more names that came to mind anyway.

Sadly, derailing has been really prominent lately, including on the PC board… :/

[picko]

1. Wilt
2. Kareem
3.LeBron

Given their combination of size and athleticism I think Wilt / Kareem could have been NBA starters at 16 during their era.

LeBron is perhaps the best of the straight out of high school players. If he could declare as a high school senior he surely.goes number one and.starts from day one.

[nbhadja]

Lebron is the obvious answer.

[Doctor MJ]

I think considering the time period, his style of play and personality, the answer has to be Kareem

Yeah, I’d say Kareem likely the answer, but I also want to shout out Connie Hawkins and present a link:

I think that guys growing up in NYC back when NBA players regularly played on NYC schoolyard courts in their off-time have an advantage over all others.

Imagine getting used to playing against the very best - like Wilt & Oscar - while you were still in high school while you play every day from end of school day until dark. It’s a recipe for prodigies distinct from what we see today.

While teenage LeBrons and Lukas with modern skills may well have been better at the modern game at the same age than guys who grew up playing a different game, they don’t get the same experience against top competition until they get to the NBA because that’s now the only place where NBA players regularly play.


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[falcolombardi]

I think considering the time period, his style of play and personality, the answer has to be Kareem

Yeah, I’d say Kareem likely the answer, but I also want to shout out Connie Hawkins and present a link:

I think that guys growing up in NYC back when NBA players regularly played on NYC schoolyard courts in their off-time have an advantage over all others.

Imagine getting used to playing against the very best - like Wilt & Oscar - while you were still in high school while you play every day from end of school day until dark. It’s a recipe for prodigies distinct from what we see today.

While teenage LeBrons and Lukas with modern skills may well have been better at the modern game at the same age than guys who grew up playing a different game, they don’t get the same experience against top competition until they get to the NBA because that’s now the only place where NBA players regularly play.


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i thinl the ability of European talent like luka (or Rubio back then) to play in high level profesional leagues during high school age may beat that

euroleague and acb players may not be Oscar and wilt but playing in an actual pro team competition with high level players may be better than playing in a playcround environment against world class stars (maybe?)

[Mazter]

I don't think any 16 of 17 or even 18 year old player would have the mental stability to deal with the racial issues in the 50's or 60's (if black) or the drug problems in the 70's and 80's in the NBA. Besides that we are completely disregarding the regular mental toll of putting a 16 or 17 year old between grown men in any teamsport in any era. I believe it would only be possible only in the most professional era of the NBA which is the 90's and on.

Doncic made it into a rotation in Europe at 16, while being part of the same club since age 13, gradually brought into the locker room the previous season. He averaged 12 minutes. It's not the same in the NBA, where you only become part of the team after being drafted. At best I see LeBron being a rotation player at 16 and maybe a starter at 17. Dwight might have been a rotation player at 17. I think that's about it.

Maybe now with the current G league/NBA system we might see a 17 year old in the NBA one day.

[hype_2004]

Cole High School 16 yr old Shaq was a 6'11 265 lbs PF/C with SF skills, he's starting and dominating at that age even at the NBA level if there is no age restriction, just too big, too strong too athletic even at that age.

[hype_2004]

Nobody talking about Shaq, age 17 at LSU, 13.9p/12r/1.9a/3.6b. I will take a mobile young Shaq over several starting centers.

Cole High School Shaq was dominant force in HS basketball history, it's like a grown man playing against 5 yr olds. HS Shaq was basically Giannis in the NBA.

[Doctor MJ]

I think considering the time period, his style of play and personality, the answer has to be Kareem

Yeah, I’d say Kareem likely the answer, but I also want to shout out Connie Hawkins and present a link:

I think that guys growing up in NYC back when NBA players regularly played on NYC schoolyard courts in their off-time have an advantage over all others.

Imagine getting used to playing against the very best - like Wilt & Oscar - while you were still in high school while you play every day from end of school day until dark. It’s a recipe for prodigies distinct from what we see today.

While teenage LeBrons and Lukas with modern skills may well have been better at the modern game at the same age than guys who grew up playing a different game, they don’t get the same experience against top competition until they get to the NBA because that’s now the only place where NBA players regularly play.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

i thinl the ability of European talent like luka (or Rubio back then) to play in high level profesional leagues during high school age may beat that

euroleague and acb players may not be Oscar and wilt but playing in an actual pro team competition with high level players may be better than playing in a playcround environment against world class stars (maybe?)

In terms of preparing a young player for the artifice of a pro league (refs, coaches, traveling) you may be right, but Hawkins was the MVP of the ABL basically right out of high school, and there were very good NBA players in that league so at least back then, I think it was pretty great preparation.


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[giordunk]

Anyone can be a starter, just a matter of how many games you're willing to lose.