The NBA draft process has seen a lot of change and development over the years. One such progressive move made back in the day was enabling draft prospects to enter the league directly out of high school.
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Scouts, however, preferred moving with the more experienced players and for obvious reasons too. High school graduates in the league generally tend to take some time to find their feet in the big leagues.
But then, there always comes a time when there is a talent capable of bending orthodox trends. Kevin Garnett was that revelation for 1990s basketball.
Garnett became the first player to be drafted straight out of high school in two decades. Drafted #5 by the Timberwolves, KG was touted to be a franchise-altering star from day one. That pressure, however, didn’t faze The Big Ticket.
And KG’s success had quite an impact. Teams became less skeptical about recruiting younger talents. Jermaine O’Neal was one such incredibly valued high school prospect who made the leap post the Garnett draft. The former All-Star even spoke about how that event was a life changer for someone like him.
Kevin Garnett was a major influence for Jermaine O’Neal
O’Neal recalled watching the draft and getting hit with the surreal news of KG’s draft. It wasn’t a straightforward path earlier, but it definitely seemed an attainable path to the league for a young O’Neal.
“Because, I remember sitting on the couch with my brother, watching the draft. And obviously, I heard a lot about him and I had got a chance to play against him in Chicago. But it wasn’t really until the draft. Watching that draft, and I’m like ‘Damn. He’s going to the league. That boy going to the NBA'” described the former Pacers star on The Knuckleheads.
“KG made it, it was a cool factor, and it was a real factor because it happened. So, he gave us a lot of confidence” spoke O’Neal on how KG normalized the direct route.
A belt of talent followed the KG route. Kevin Garnett blazed the trail for Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard for instance. While the occasional Kwame Brown did come by too, there were more Jermaine O’Neal’s to Browns in the pecking order.
How did Jermaine O’Neal’s career pan out in terms of success by a high school talent?
While it took some time for O’Neal to get rolling, he established himself as a star in the league. O’Neal, at the time of his debut, was the youngest ever to play an NBA basketball game.
O’Neal was one of the most promising big men and was one of the most mobile big men in the league. 6 All-Star nominations and a MIP award followed an illustrious career.
During his time at the Pacers, Jermaine O’Neal also found himself in the thick of infamy. “Malice at the Palace” saw O’Neal get tied in the middle of controversy too. A dark spot in an otherwise inspiring career.
