“0.02% Go On to Play in the NBA”: Shaquille O’Neal Highlights How Difficult it is To Become a Professional Basketball Player

3x NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal took to his Instagram and shared how rare it is for someone to make a professional basketball team. And when it comes to the NBA, the percentages diminish to epic fractions. In 2015, the NCAA shared the data about “Men’s Basketball: Probability of competing beyond high school”. The image in his IG story reflects the findings from the official NCAA data.

The graphic reads, “According to NCAA, about 3.3% of high school basketball go on to play in NCAA-sponsored basketball. Of those only about 1% go on to play professionally, and 0.02% go on to play in the NBA.”

In Shaq’s story, this image is displayed in the center. However, like many instances, the big fella rolls out his story without additional text by him. 

The story then turned to the original post. On his Instagram, NCJAA Division 2 coach Gino Myers-Kyles rolled out a post indicating the rarity of making it to the top-flight basketball scenes.

For coach Myers, “the data underscores the immense challenges and low probabilities of reaching the professional ranks. The sharp decline at each stage of progression highlights the rarity and prestige associated with making it to the professional level in sports, reflecting not just the need for exceptional talent, but also dedication, opportunity, and often a bit of luck.”

Thus, the odds of making it to the NBA are like gold dust. Therefore, dominant pro hoopers like Shaq realize that their job is exclusive, and even top-tier talents can miss out on it.

This realization became apparent to Kyrie Irving when his father Drederick Irving gave him a ‘reality check’.

Drederick Irving gives Kyrie Irving a humbling reflection

Writing for The Guardian in 2022, author Jacob Uitti registered Kyrie Irving’s thoughts about how his father asked him to have additional plans other than turning pro. On his Twitter, Irving had expressed how his father provided him with the realization of preparing for life if his hoop dreams were lost.

“My Dad told me at a young age, I had a 1 in 3,333 percent chance (.03%) of making it to the NBA and that I should have backup plans for my life regardless if it happened or not, I am grateful he told me the truth because with or without basketball, I know myself” Kyrie Irving wrote on Twitter

Thus, the low percentage of athletes making it to the top indicates the thin thread by which hangs the career of thousands of young hoopers. Making it to the NBA takes a lot of toil and even when you reach there, there are a lot of struggles to hold onto the roster spot. The professional level of basketball indeed churns out the most resilient talent.