Michael Jordan was a household name even before setting foot in the NBA. His three-year stint playing for the UNC Tar Heels made him a hyped prospect for the 1984 draft. In those three years, Jordan averaged 17.1 points and 5 rebounds. Apart from winning the NCAA Championship in 1982, MJ also clinched the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards, among a bunch of other accolades. Years after retirement, Jordan was asked about his opinion regarding students declaring for the draft straight after high school.
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In the late 1990s, players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady began the trend of joining the NBA straight out of high school. Before Garnett decided to declare for the 1995 Draft, it wasn’t very common to see 17-18-year-olds joining the NBA straight from school.
Michael Jordan believed that players shouldn’t directly become a pro after high school
In 2005, Michael Jordan sat down with Marvin Shanken for an iconic interview in Cigar Aficionado. During the wide range of questions asked, Shanken also interrogated Jordan for his opinions on players turning pro at a young age. According to MJ, who only declared for the draft after three years of college experience, youngsters shouldn’t be allowed to go directly from high school into the pros.
Shanken had a valid counter-question ready, giving live examples of successful players who were drafted out of high school–Garnett, Bryant, and LeBron. Lauding LBJ, His Airness stated that the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School star was the only such example who found instant success in the league. The others needed a period of adjustment to the league. What Jordan said was correct, and one of the main reasons players are encouraged to play college ball is to get used to the physicality and demands of a more active game. In high school, players only play against others their age, and because of similar ages, they aren’t exposed to a variety of builds. Jordan said,
“But you’re talking about one player, LeBron James, who’s been very successful in his first two years. Kobe [Bryant], Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O’Neal—all those guys took at least three years before they adapted to what they had to do as professional basketball players.”
Only a year after this interview, the NBA set in stone new guidelines, the main goal of which was to ensure players completed at least one year of college before they could be draft-eligible. Many believe Jordan’s words encouraged Commissioner David Stern to implement this rule.
