Ranking Every McDonald’s All American MVP (1978-2019)

The McDonald’s All-American game is a yearly showcase of the best and brightest young basketball players before they head to college and hopefully the NBA. Only one player (usually) can be crowned as the MVP each year, and I’ve gone through and ranked all 55 of them from 1978 to 2019 based on their post-MVP careers.

Player Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:45 – Walker Lambiotte
01:04 – Aubrey Sherrod
01:35 – Cheick Diallo
02:31 – Efrem Winters
02:57 – Rudy Woods
03:27 – Darren Daye
03:51 – Kenny Gregory
04:24 – Shaheen Holloway
05:07 – Winston Bennett
05:37 – Rick Brunson
06:07 – Jonathan Bender
06:50 – Frank Jackson
07:35 – Nassir Little
08:01 – Josh McRoberts
08:39 – Chase Budinger
09-28 – Khalid Reeves
09:55 – Othella Harrington
10:29 – Russell Cross
10:50 – Jacque Vaughn
11:26 – Adrian Branch
11:52 – James Michael McAdoo
12:25 – Felipe Lopez
13:01 – Josh Jackson
13:49 – Shabazz Muhammad
15:03 – Pearl Washington
15:36 – Mark Macon
15:57 – Justin Jackson
16:44 – Bobby Hurley
17:19 – Jared Sullinger
18:05 – Ronald Curry
18:50 – J.R. Reid
19:18 – Hot Plate Williams
19:49 – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
20:34 – Derrick Favors
21:17 – Shawn Bradley
22:12 – Eddy Curry
23:02 – Jahlil Okafor
24:03 – Cole Anthony
24:59 – Michael Beasley
25:56 – Billy Owens
26:27 – Michael Porter Jr.
27:17 – Aaron Gordon
28:16 – Harrison Barnes
29:01 – J.J. Reddick
29:39 – Tyreke Evans
30: 24 – J.R. Smith
31:24 – Zach Randolph
32:15 – Jerry Stackhouse
33: 09 – Alonzo Mourning
33:52 – Dwight Howard
34:45 – Chris Webber
35:16 – Kevin Durant
36:30 – Kevin Garnett
37:04 – Shaquille O’Neal
37: 34 – LeBron James

since starting up the East versus West format of its All-Star Game the McDonald’s All-American event has collected some of the best high school players from around the country and pitted them against each other in a showcase exhibition match at the end of each game only one player can win MVP and that doesn’t always go to the best player in that Year’s class I’ve tried to do the impossible and rank every single McDonald’s All-American MVP from 1978 through 2019 I just don’t think we’ve seen enough of the more recent players to really judge so we’ll give them a little more time compare guys who had a great college career and sucked in the pros to players who were average in college and carved a career as a role player is as you’d expect going to be very tough but I’ll do my best finally it’s worth noting that recruiting was not nearly as sophisticated as it is today leading the top of this list being a little bit more filled out with modern players or maybe I just have a bias for players I watch live let me know in the comments this is going to be contentious number 55 Walker lambot 1985 lambot won the MVP by scoring 24 points in the All-American game he’ started his college career at NC State but struggled with the competition he then transferred to Northwestern where in two years he put up solid scoring numbers as a star of the big big 10’s bottom feeder lambat went undrafted in 1990 and never played a game at the pro level number 54 Aubrey sherad 1981 sherad was very tall for his age as a youth in fact he was invited to play with his brother’s sixth grade team when he was only in second grade due to his size he dominated the competition in witch talk Kansas a high schooler and was raged alongside Michael Jordan as one of the best players in the country he’d head to Witchita state for college and was a walking bucket for the team while also earning his plac as the schools at the time alltime steals Leader by the end of his four years he was drafted by the Bulls in 1985 however he was eventually cut because the team already had MJ he would play in the CBA in overseas but was unable to ever get a game in the NBA number 53 Sheek Dio 2015 Dio is only 27 years old so he could definitely rise up the rankings if he’s able to impress overseas the young power forward came to the US from Molly in 2012 to play high school ball over his high school career he would grow into a five-star Prospect and was recruited to play for the Kansas Jayhawks his early collegiate career was marred by eligibility concerns but when he did step on the floor it was clear that he wasn’t quite ready averaging just three points and 2.5 boards in 7 and 1/2 minutes a night however he decided to leave College ahead of the 2016 NBA draft that may have been a mistake for his long-term development but he was selected with the 33rd pick by the Clippers and then traded to the Pelicans later that night he impressed in his first summer league and even dropped a double double during an early December game during his rookie season in his three years in New Orleans he came off the bench for more than a 100 games but never averaged more than 14 minutes he was signed by Phoenix for the 2019 season and even started two games during his year there he then spent the next few seasons overseas before getting a few games with the Pistons in 2021 and after that he’d head back overseas as of 2023 he’s playing in Japan alongside another former player epe Udo number 52 efim Winters 1982 Winters came out of Chicago King as a stud power forward he dropped 19 points to win MVP in the McDonald’s All-American game before going to the University of Illinois there he’d play for four years and make the all big 10 team in 1984 when he led his team to the Elite 8 he left school after his senior season as the alltime leader in rebounds and games played while averaging 11 points a night he was selected 88th overall in the 86 draft but never played in the NBA he tried to play overseas but could not find a team and retired to work in construction 51 Rudy Woods 1978 as a 6’10 high school sophomore Woods was dominant in his home state of Texas he continued to improve his game winning three state titles in a row before dropping 13 points and 16 boards to an MVP in the McDonald’s All-American Game he go on to play four years at Texas A&M where he won swc freshman of the Year in’ 79 but poor academics held back his development at times and his per game Numbers Never progressed he was selected with the 73rd pick by the Mavs in 1982 but would never log at NBA minute instead playing out a short pro career overseason in the CBA Woods passed in 2016 number 50 Darren day 1979 9 day one MVP behind a 22.4 rebound performance he headed to UCLA for his college career and ended his time there with a solid senior season where he averag nearly 16 points a night he was drafted 57th overall by the bullets in 1983 and played in the league for 5 years across three different teams he then finished out his career overseas before retiring in 97 his son Austin would later become the 15th pick in the 2009 draft and win a title with the Spurs in 2014 number 49 Kenny Gregory 1997 Gregory rode a stellar High School career to a scholarship at Kansas University while his first season wasn’t quite up to his standards he became a double- digit scorer his sophomore year and increased his production all four years with The Jayhawks Gregory would then show off incredible athleticism at the pre-draft combine recording the at the time highest noep vertical and highest maximum vertical in the events history however he went undrafted in 2001 and was signed by the Greenville Grove in the D-League unfortunately Gregory was never able to make it to the NBA but he did have a very successful career overseas winning a championship in the French and Slovenian leagues while picking up several Allstar Awards around the globe 48 Shaheen Holloway 1996 growing up in Queens the 5’10 point guard was ranked alongside Mike BBY as the two best guards in the 96 class Holloway decided to head to Sean hall for his collegiate career despite offers from some of the game’s biggest Blue Bloods he was an instant source of offense for the Pirates averaging 17 points and six assists as a freshman he decided to not go pro and his game Saw an immediate dip fortunately by his senior season Holloway had turned it around and he was named to the all Big East Second team unfortunately he injured his ankle during the first round of the NCAA tournament which ended his season before C Hall could go on a run partially due to the injury he went undrafted in the 2000 draft in fact he would never make an NBA roster but did play around the world professionally before joining Iona as an assistant coach in 2007 currently Holloway works as the head coach at his Alma moer where he’s working to continue the program’s history of success 47 Winston Bennett 1983 Bennett was a star player for his Louisville high school and stayed instate for college ball at Kentucky as a freshman he helped lead the team to the final four where they lose to Georgetown the next year his scoring went up but the team wasn’t quite as successful as a junior he’d boost his numbers even more and make the all NCA Regional team and all SEC team a serious knee injury forced him to Red trit the next year but in his senior season he again earned all SEC honors and led the team to the Sweet 16 he’d then be drafted 64th overall by the Cavs he played three seasons in the NBA as a reserve player before retiring to get into coaching 46 Rick Brunson 1991 the Elder Brunson destroyed the New York competition on his way to playing college ball for temple there he grew into a solid point guard who could score with ease however he went undrafted in 1995 Brunson would play all over the world and was able to latch on to several NBA teams over his 10year career however his most notable career came in coaching where he was a long time assistant coach at the NBA level before taking over at Camden high school there he coached players like dwan Wagner Jor before joining his son’s NBA team the New York Knicks in 2022 without a doubt his son is the better player finally making the All-Star team for his first time in 2024 45 Jonathan Bender 1999 Bender is a tough player to rank because unlike many on this list he doesn’t have a college career where he had a chance to dominate lesser competition that said the 611 small forward was one of the first big men who possessed an outside gate which made him the fifth overall pick in the 1990 draft as a high school senior a draft a trade sent him to Indiana and he started well becoming the first high schooler to scor in double figures in his debut unfortunately he was plagued by injuries during his entire career his 2002 season was his statistical best as he played 78 games and average 7.4 points however the injuries quickly returned and he only played 76 more games for the team over the next four years he would leave the league after the 2006 season and eventually sign with a Dix in 2009 while he showed Improvement he only played 25 games and elected to retire on his business career despite the Knicks wanting him back he is currently a private coach in the Houston area 44 Frank Jackson 2016 Jackson was widely viewed as a top 10 player in his class during a senior season averaging nearly 30 points at night in the Utah prep scene he had headed to Duke for college and was a solid player during his lone season there sure he didn’t pick up any awards at the end of his only Collegiate season but the 6-3 guard did average 11 points and hit 40% of his three-pointers he would enter his name in the 2017 draft where he was picked 31st overall by the Hornets and was immediately traded to the Pelicans in his rookie season Jackson got solid minutes off the bench and averaged eight points a night however that PT would drop off in year two and he would eventually sign with the Pistons there he have his best season so far averaging nearly 11 points off the bench in 2022 after the season Jackson was allowed to walk and he signed with the Jazz where he appeared in one game and played for the teams G League affiliate as of 2024 Jackson is playing overseas most recently for asvel in the French league 43 nir little 2018 little was ranked as the second best player in his class behind RJ Barrett he went to North Carolina to play college ball and was solid for the Tar Heels but never cracked the starting lineup little decided to jump to the pros and was selected 24th overall by the Trailblazers in 2019 in his four years with the team little showed promise at times but nagging injuries hurt his development then in 2023 he was evolved in the Damen Lillard trade and was sent to the Suns as a result playing behind Stars Devon Booker and Kevin Durant little has played limited minutes that said said he’s only 24 so he could rise up this list in the future 42 Josh McRoberts 2005 McRoberts was widely considered the best power forward Prospect in his class and may have been drafted in 2005 had he skipped college instead he went to Duke as one of the at the time highest ranked recruits in the program’s history he was a solid player during his freshman season making the third team freshman All-American list Min thought he could be a lottery pick but he decided to go back to school after a back surgery had a solid season but didn’t really take that next step he’d entered the 2007 draft and was selected 37th overall by the Trailblazers MC Roberts was able to carve out a 10-year career playing for seven different franchise but was never able to average more than 10 points a night partially due to consistent injury issues you could probably rank him a bit higher based on his career longevity but I’m giving players who did more damage in college a slight bump over MC Roberts 41 Chase buinger 2006 given his 67 frame it might not surprise you to learn that chase buinger was a standout basketball and volleyball player in California in fact he led his volleyball team to three straight championships and was voted as the national Player of the Year during a senior season however he was considered the fourth best basketball player in his class so he decided to head to Arizona and focus on basketball during his freshman year he dropped near nearly 16 points a night starting every game for the wild cats over two more seasons his numbers would continue to creep up and he decided to head to the draft in 2009 buinger was selected 44th overall by the Pistons but was immediately traded to the Rockets while he only started four games during his rookie season he did contribute solid numbers off the bench unfortunately it never got much better for buinger over his 8-year career as he retired with 7.9 points per game for his career after retiring buinger switched to playing pro volleyball with the AP he wi Rookie of the Year in his first season and won his first AP title in 2019 buinger continues to compete on the tour as of 2023 40 khed Reeves 1990 Reeves was a force in Queens New York but told his coach he wanted to play somewhere warm for college he’d end up at Arizona where he became one of the program’s most prolific scores playing for loot Olsen Reeves would help Damon STM and the rest of the Wildcats to the 94 final four that they lose to Arkansas he then entered that year’s draft where the heat selected him 12th overall Reeves would play in the NBA for six years bopping around to six different teams and spent time playing overseas once his NBA prospects dried up he didn’t go to coach at CHR the king for several years though he seemingly left that job in recent years number 39 Oella Harrington 1992 Harrington was up there with Jason kid as the best prep player in the country during 1992 he’ ride that domination to a scholarship at Georgetown in his quest to become the next great big man under John Thompson he won Big East freshman of the year in his first season behind 17 points and nine boards at night unfortunately his numbers would drop in each of the next three years before he graduated Harrington was drafted 30th overall in 1986 by the Rockets behind AE elijan and Charles Barkley he didn’t get a ton of playing time but in 1989 he was traded to Vancouver in his first season there he’d have a career year but wasn’t able to grow beyond that due to injuries he’d bounce around for several more years before retiring in 2006 38 Russell cross 1980 cross grew up in Chicago and won a State title at Manley he take his talents to Purdue where he set a freshman scoring record in his first season cross would continued to improve and was named First Team all big 10 during his junior year that impressive Collegiate success led to him being the sixth pick in the 1983 draft he played one season with the Golden State Warriors before flaming out of the league he’d spent six more years playing overseas before retiring 37 jacqu vaugh 1993 Von St in the California high school circuit quickly becoming one of the best recruits in the country he’d elected to head to Kansas for college ball to play for legendary coach Roy Williams alongside Scott Pard interestingly vaugh is at least partially responsible for opening up a pipeline from KU to Cali which would eventually lead to players like Paul Pierce making the trip to the Midwest Von was an effective scorer in college but was mostly known for his distribution and hard-nosed defense heed win big eight player of the year in 96 and was a two-time All-American that led to him being drafted 27th overall by the Utah Jazz in ’97 for most of his pro career he came off the bench but he was able to carve out a 12-year career as a solid role player even winning a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 36 Adrien Branch 1981 Branch came out of Washington DC as a star Swingman he played four years for the Maryland terapin and finish his career as the second all-time leading score during those Four Seasons he’d twice make the all ACCC team while averaging north of 18 points a game the Bulls drafted him in the second round of the 1985 draft but he never played for the team after a year in a lower pro league he play a reserve role on the 1987 Championship winning Lakers squad over the course of several years he played for four more teams that the bulk of his career was spent overseas 35 James Michael McAdoo 2011 McAdoo earned back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Virginia before heading to UNC for college College McAdoo spent three seasons at UNCC earning second Team all EC twice he would then enter the 2014 draft but went undrafted without an outside shot he was viewed as a tweener with limited upside in the modern NBA but he would catch on with the Warriors while he didn’t get a ton of playing time he did win two titles with the team and picked up several Awards in the D-League while assigned there during his Golden State run in 2017 he signed a two-way contract with the 76ers but was waved soon after mcade would then spend several years overseas winning the Serbian Cup in 2020 nowadays McAdoo plays in the Japanese League 34 Felipe Lopez 1994 Lopez was born in the Dominican Republic but came to the states when he was 14 he would make his name in the New York City High School circuit where the 65 guard made ways before heading to St John’s from the jump Lopez was a scoring machine never averaging under 15 points a game during his four years at the school Lopez was named to the all Big East Third team twice and first team once before heading the NBA in 1998 he was drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies with a 24th pick unfortunately he was only able to hang around the league for four years while playing for three teams after the 2002 season Lopez would play around the world until 2011 when he’d finally retire well he never quite lived up to his early promise his work as an ambassador for the game in the Dominican Republic shouldn’t be ignored 33 Josh Jackson 2016 Jackson was a stud player out in California averaging 27 points and 13 boards a game during his senior season the 68 Swingman was given a 102 rating by 247 Sports making the highest rated recruit in the website’s history Jackson would head to Kansas for his collegiate career with the j-hawks he won Big 12 freshman of the year and was named a second team All-American after that success he’d head to the 2017 NBA draft where he was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns while he was only able to start 35 games as a rookie he dropped 13 points a night and make all rookie second team his second season with the team was mostly more of the same but his scoring fell slightly Jackson was then traded to the Grizzlies he would dominate for the team’s g-league affiliate but only played 22 games for Memphis Jackson then signed with his hometown pistons and averaged a career high in points in 2021 the next year he was traded to the Kings during a mid-season deal but continue to struggle to find consistent minutes however due to recent allegations his future is unknown number 32 shabbaz Muhammad 2012 Muhammad’s dad was a 6 foot5 fouryear starter at USC and his mom played point guard and ran track at Long Beach State his older sister is a pro tennis player what I’m saying is that it’s not a big surprise that shabbaz blew up on the national scene at Bishop Gorman High School Muhammad was so good that Greg Anthony called him a quote once in a generation Talent Muhammad would take his talents to UCLA for college though he had to sit the first few games due to alleged amateurism violations eventually he’d be clear to play and was good enough to win Pack 12 co-freshman of the year and make the second team All-American roster but wasn’t nearly as electrifying as many assumed he’d be at that level Muhammad decided to forgo the rest of his collegiate career and entered the 2013 draft after being projected as a top three pick in high school Muhammad fell to the back of the lottery he was drafted 14th overall by the Jazz and was traded to the Timberwolves out of the gate Muhammad had off thec court issues getting sent home for rules violations in the preseason he’d SP most of his rookie season in the D-League but showed a few flashes of NBA production in his limited chances unfortunately an injury had forced him to shut down his season early Muhammad came back the next year and played well averaging over 13 points while looking noticeably Slimmer but was injured again he played three more seasons in Minnesota but couldn’t crack the starting lineup he was in traded to the Bucks where he played 11 games before being waved Muhammad has since spent several years playing pro ball all over the world last year was revealed that Muhammad may have been a year older than previously expected allowing him to play against younger players in high school to make himself look better though that’s been disputed by his father number 31 Dwayne Pearl Washington 1983 Washington was the number one player in the United States during his senior year of high school and potentially an even bigger name on the Brooklyn playgrounds he’d take his game to Syracuse University where he was a three-time all Big East player and two-time all- American Jazz legend John Stockon would recall that Pearl was the toughest player to guard at the 1984 Olympic trials training camp in 86 he was drafted 13th overall by the Nets where he’ play two seasons and average nine points a night he was then selected by the heat in the 88 expansion draft but only played 54 games before being released Washington would Bop around to several CBA teams before retiring in ‘ 91 he passed away in 2016 number 30 Mark mon 1987 after a standout prep career mon went to Temple and played alongside Aaron mcke and Eddie Jones he made the all Atlantic 10 First Team all four years and was named the League’s Player of the Year in 88 he was drafted by the nuggets with the eighth pick in the 91 draft and played for six years in the NBA before spending several more years in the CBA in overseas after retiring make him would take up coaching where he was recently working as mck’s assistant coach at Temple 29 Justin Jackson 24 14 Jackson is a bit of an interesting case because he played for the homeschool Christian Youth Association during high school he averaged 39 points and nine boards as a senior generating hype dut is off the charts athleticism Johnson would eventually sign with North Carolina and spend three years with thear heels along the way he’d win 2017 ACC player of the year make first team All-American once and win the 2017 National Championship after that season Jackson would declare for the NBA he was selected 15th overall by the Trailblazers in the 2017 draft but was immediately traded to the Kings he played for Sacramento for about a year and a half before he was traded to Dallas after a similar time frame there he was traded to the the Thunder he was then waved and picked up by the Bucs in 2021 winning a championship despite only appearing in one game he’s since done stints in Boston and Phoenix but has never been able to get consistent minutes in the NBA Jackson continues to hang around the G League even making the all g-league third team in 2022 but is yet to break out in the way some thought he would After High School 28 Bobby Hurley 1989 Hurley is a tough player to rank because his college career is up there with the best of them but injuries as a pro kept him from having a chance to prove himself he led the Duke Blue Devils to back-to-back national titles in 91 and ’92 then he was named first team All-American in ’93 after putting up 17 points and eight assists a night he was in selected with a seventh pick by the kings in the 93 draft but was involved in a car accident during his rookie season where he suffered life-threatening injuries hle would come back to play four more years in the NBA but was never the same player after retiring he jumped into coaching and has led his Arizona State Sun Devils to three incaa tournament appearances over the last nine years while coaching players like Josh Christopher and Lou Dort to the NBA 27 Jared solinger 2010 suly dropped nearly 25 points and 12 boards as a senior in Ohio leading his high school team to the number one ranking in the country and becoming a top five recruit would stay in state and head to Ohio State where he was a walking double double from the jump solinger played two seasons in college and was a first team All-American each year he then head to the NBA where he was drafted with the 21st pick in the 2012 draft by the Celtics his fall out of the lottery was because of a lingering back issues that came up during the draft process so he didn’t play much during his rookie season but grew into a decent score by year two however it soon became clear that his game was in a great fit for where the NBA was going and Boston let him sign a contract with the Raptors in 2016 instead of reigning him he played 11 games there due to injuries and was traded to the Suns before being wed he spent the 2017 season playing the Chinese basketall Basketball Association where he quickly became a star leading the league in rebounds sloly would also win the 2021 Korean League playoffs MVP and is currently back in the CBA 26 ronal Curry 1998 Curry is the hardest player to judge on this list because he decided to leave basketball behind and head to North Carolina to play football that said his ability in both Sports is hard to deny he led his high school to three consecutive titles in football and one in basketball in fact many Scouts actually ranked him ahead of Michael Vic as the two played against each other growing up in Virginia at UNCC Curry was a relatively average Quarterback never completely living up to his hype as a passer however he was named MVP of two different bowl games for the Taral and it’s important to note that several coaching changes marred his time on the team he also joined Julius Peppers to play for uncc’s basketball team during the offseason and eventually Curry was drafted in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL draft he was switched to wide receiver and eventually became a solid option for the Raiders posting three different seasons where he caught 50 balls or more since retiring in 2009 Curry is focused on coaching and currently serves as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints 25 Jr Reed 1986 in high school Reed was recruited to play football for Virginia Tech but elected to stick with basketball and went to North Carolina there he was named AC Rookie of the Year during his first season and was a consensus first team All-American during his sophomore year he played one more year in college before being drafted fifth overall by the Hornets in 1989 ree carved out a solid if somewhat unremarkable career playing for six different NBA teams and winning a French league championship in 97 his best season was likely his rookie year where he started all 82 games and averaged 11 points in eight board but he was never able to take that next step 24 John Williams 1984 Hot Plate Williams grew up in Los Angeles California but went to LSU for his college career after a solid SEC career he was selected 12th overall by the Washington Bullets in the 86 draft due to consistent weight issues Williams would never really become much more than a role player despite at time showing he could score as much as 18 points a night in fact he was suspended for the entire 9192 season because he was overweight that said he did carve out a solid 8-year career with three different teams it’s interesting to think how far up this list he would have gone had he been able to control his weight though it must be said that much of that was related to depression surrounding the loss of several family members and Friends during his time in the league 23 Michael kid Gilchrist 2011 kid Gilchrist attended Powerhouse St Patrick High School in New Jersey with Kyrie Irving and was widely regarded as a top three player in his class he would head to Kentucky in 2011 and was an instant Star by season’s end he’d become a second team All-American and win the 2012 NCAA Championship alongside Anthony Davis mkg was in selected with the second pick of the 2012 draft by the Bobcats he’d have a solid rookie campaign and make the all rookie second team however in his sophomore season he started to be plagued by injuries that would continue throughout his career hampering what could have been a promising run in the NBA of course the big thing he became known for was his questionable jump shot form Charlotte would bring in Legend Mark prize to help fix it but it never became what you’d call pretty mkg ended up playing eight years in Charlotte but only had three seasons that many would consider help during the 2019 season he was traded to Dallas but barely played he’d signed with the Knicks in the next season but was quickly waved and has never played again 22 drik favers 2009 favors destroyed the high school circuit in Atlanta Georgia becoming a consensus top four player in his class by the time he graduated he committed to Georgia Tech in 2009 and quickly proved he could play dropping 17 points nearly eight boards and three blocks in his only ACC tournament appearance favors would then go to the 2010 draft and was selected with the third overall pick by the Nets when he took the court he became the youngest player to ever play for the Nets at 19 years and 104 days but he was traded to Utah after his rookie season he’d spent 9 years with a jazz eventually getting all the way up to 16 points a night however he consistently had to fight against injuries and the team was never able to produce a playoff winner in 2019 he was traded to the Pelicans where he’d spend one year before heading back to Utah and then the OKC after a year with the Thunder he tried to hang around with several more teams and was never picked up on a full contract most recently he played for the windy city Bulls in the G League 21 Shawn Bradley 1990 Bradley was already 6’8 by the time he entered high school and grew to be 75 before going to BYU for college during his prep career Bradley was a dominant Force averaging 25 points 17 boards and nine blocks per game as a high school senior at BYU he did more of the same though it was a shot blocking that made him so valuable averaging 5.2 a night as a freshman he would then spend two years as a full-time missionary and decided to forego the last three years of Eligibility and declare for the 93 draft there he was selected with the second overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers with Philly Bradley was seen as a project and the team brought in Moses Malone to help work on his postgame in his first game Bradley rejected eight shots in just 25 minutes but his other numbers were average that was the tale for much of his career as Bradley was an elite rim protector for Philly the Nets and the Mavs across his 11-year career arguably his most successful period was when he came off the bench in Dallas to provide the imposing presence needed alongside Dirk nitzki and Steve Nash he retired in 2005 and has worked with youth and in politics sadly Bradley was hit by a car while in his bicycle in 2021 and was left paralyzed number 20 Eddie Curry 2001 Curry spent his early life hoping to become a gymnast which might explain his Fleet feat however in seventh grade he tried out for the basketball team and everything changed he was a dominate force in Illinois High School Hoops winning Mr basketball in 2001 while he signed a letter of intent at depal he would declare for the draft for the Bulls made him the fourth overall pick with the bulls Curry would slowly become a solid scorer averaging double digits every year after his rookie campaign however injuries and off the court issues would lead to Chicago shipping into the Knicks in 2005 his first year in NYC was rough but when Isaiah Thomas was installed as the coach he became the offensive focal point and Thrive putting up 19.6 points a night in 2008 he showed up training camp out of shape and lost his starting job he continued to struggle with his weight until he was traded the Timberwolves in a blockbuster 2011 trade he never played a game there and signed with the Miami Heat in 2011 by the time he showed up he’ lost nearly 70 lbs while he didn’t play much he did win a championship in 2012 he would Bop around for a few more leagues before leaving the NBA and playing the CBA 19 Jalil Okafor 2014 if Jalil Okafor had been born 10 years earlier he might have been a French star the Arkansas native was 6’7 by the time he entered e8th grade and his high school career was one of the most star studded we’ve seen from a player out of the Chicago hotbed he was the consensus number one player in his class by the end of his senior year winning National Player of the Year in Illinois Mr basketball okaf for went to Duke for his single season of college ball there he was selected as the ACC Player of the Year National freshman of the year and picked as a consensus first team All-American while dropping 17 points and 8.5 boards a night that Duke team would go on to win the National Championship in short okaf for accomplished nearly everything a player could possibly do before entering the NBA he was in drafted third overall by the 76ers in the 2015 draft in his rookie season okaf for dropped 17.5 a night before getting injured however it was clear that his inefficient game might not be a great fit for the quickly changing NBA and a string of injuries exasperated the problem the 76ers also kept drafting young bigs hurting his chances for playing time and okaf for was finally traded in 2017 he played four more years in the league across four different teams but was never able to find a way to turn it around and has spent the last few years playing overseas and in Mexico 18 Cole Anthony 2019 Cole Anthony was born in Portland while his dad Greg was playing for the Trailblazers as a toddler his family moved to Manhattan and he played baseball in elementary school in fifth grade he switched to basketball and the rest is history Anthony started his high school career in New York but eventually transferred to oakill in Virginia There He teamed with Kofi cockburn to form one of the best high school teams in the country he was widely regarded as a top three player in his class inside with North Carolina with thear heels Anthony immediately started setting school records dropping 34 points and 11 boards in his debut game to beat Rashard mcc’s School record and RJ Barrett’s ACC record for most points in a freshman debut unfortunately at December injury would hold him out for a few months but Anthony came back on a tear and end the season averaging 18.5 points a night Anthony decided to declare for the 2020 NBA draft where he was selected 15th overall by the Orlando Magic since entering the NBA Anthony has proved to be a lethal scorer in his third season the magic started to experiment with him coming off the bench and Anthony’s shooting percentages have gone up dramatically at only 23 Anthony is poised to move further up the list but has already been in incredibly impressive during his young career 17 Michael Beasley 2007 it’s hard to imagine a player with a smoother game than Michael Beasley alongside Kevin Durant Beasley dominated the AA scene during High School playing for six different schools during his prep career and once dropping 64 points and 34 boards in a game as a senior he then head to Kansas State as the number one player in his class there at Beasley posted one of the most dominant freshman Seasons we’ve ever seen averaging 26.2 points and a nation leading 12.4 boards per game he was named a consensus first team allamerican and one big 12 Player of the Year and Beasley decided to go straight to the NBA after that season and was selected with the second pick in the 2008 draft bees averaged 14 points Off the Bench during his first season in the league but consistently got in trouble for violating team policy the next year he became a full-time starter taking a small leap in his game but he was traded the Timberwolves after the season to make room for Chris BOS and LeBron James in his first season with Minnesota Beasley dropped 19 a night but that would end up being his last season at full strength due to injuries and off the court issues Beasley was never able to live up the hype he had coming out of college he would car out an 11-year career playing for seven different franchises but never took that step towards stardom 16 Billy Owens 1988 in high school Billy Owens won four straight state titles which eventually led to him playing college ball at Syracuse he was a stud from the jump finishing his career as the Big East Player of the Year in his Junior season Owens was selected third overall by the kings in the 91 draft but held out of signing a contract and was eventually traded to the Warriors in exchange for Mitch Richman breaking up the popular Run TMC Trio as a rookie he averaged 15 points and eight boards to make the all rookie first team however he was never able to take that next step towards stardom instead he’d bounced around to several teams always providing quality minutes when healthy but never living up to the promise he showcased early in his care care 15 Michael Porter Jr 2017 mpj was lucky enough to play Under former NBA star Brandon Roy in high school who turned the 610 Wing into one of the best players in the country as a senior he averaged 36 points and almost 14 boards a night earning a scholarship to Washington however when his dad was hired at Missouri PTO switches commitment due to injuries mpj only played three games in college but decided to jump to the NBA after his freshman season he was selected with the 14th pick of the 2018 draft by the Nuggets due to those health concerns in fact he’d miss his first full season after a back surgery when mpj was finally ready to go he was solid average aing 9.8 points off the bench and shooting over 40% from three the next year he blossomed into a lethal score dropping 19 points a night as the Nuggets continued to improve around him however in 2122 he had a third back surgery and missed all but nine games the next year Porter got back to the starting lineup and helped the Nuggets win their first championship in franchise history it’s been more of the same this season and at just 25 years old there’s a good chance he can move up the list 14 Aaron Gordon 2013 Gordon comes from a family of athletes his father played at San Diego State and tried to switch to tight end in the NFL after going undrafted in the NBA his brother Drew played a few games in the NBA before out a long career overseas and his sister played at Harvard for his part Gordon was a dominant high school player in California winning back-to-back Mr basketball awards for heading to the University of Arizona there Gordon continued to produce as a high-flying athlete with a nose for rebounds he earned Pack 12 freshman of the year and made all Pack 12 first team in his lone Collegiate season he was drafted fourth overall by the Magic in 2014 unfortunately his rookie season was tainted by injuries however in year two he became a national Name by competing in one of the best dun contest of the modern era though he lose to Zack LaVine due to somewhat questionable judging Gordon was now a known commodity his game would continue to grow in Orlando becoming a more consistent scor though the magic struggled to win games with him as a focal point Gordon would also enter the 2020 dunk contest where he again got second this time behind Derrick Jones Jr in 2021 Gordon was traded to the Denver Nuggets where he’d finally see Team success his offensive role was lessened but his versatility to guard basically every position was instrumental in the team winning the 2023 NBA title 13 Harrison Barnes 2010 Barnes was one of the top players in his class coming out of Iowa playing alongside Doug McDermot for Ames High School as a senior he dropped 27 points 10 boards four Steals and four assists T night he would head to North Carolina to play college ball and in his first year he won Rookie of the Year and as a sophomore Barnes made second team All-American Barnes then entered the 2012 draft and was selected seventh overall by The Warriors baren started almost every game during his rookie season due to his defensive versatility but was relegated to the sixthman duties in 2013 after the team acquired andreala however in 2014 he was inserted back into the starting lineup and the Warriors would win a title in part due to barnes’s breakout playoff performance he’d spend one more year with the Warriors signing with the Mavs he’d have his best scoring Seasons with Dallas but he was eventually traded in the middle of a game to the kings in 2019 he’s now now been in Sacramento for 6 years starting nearly every game he’s been healthy giving the Kings whatever they need number 12 JJ reick 2002 reck was a force in the Virginia High School scene but he burst onto the national scene at Duke there he became one of the best and most hated players in NCAA history during his time as a Blue Devil he was a lethal scorer averaging nearly 27 points a night as a senior he also picked up multiple Player of the Year Awards though he was unable to win Duke a title the magic made him the 11th pick of the 2006 draft and re would prove that it wasn’t all college hype the man could ball while he never became an All-Star level player carved out a long career due to his ability to put the ball in the bucket from all over the court his best statistical season came in 2019 when he dropped 18 a night for Philly unfortunately just like in college he was unable to ever win an NBA ring and retired after the 2021 season number 11 Tyreek Evans 2008 Tyreek Evans stuffed box sheets throughout his high school career and was ranked as the sixth best player in his class when he went to the University of Memphis for college ball there he transitioned to the point guard position unlocking a new level to his game he ran the Memphis offense with intensity and was drafted fourth overall by the kings in 2009 out of the gate Evans was a star becoming just the the fourth rookie in NBA history to average at least 20 points five boards and five assists the other three players Oscar Robinson Michael Jordan and LeBron James needless to say big things were expected for the reigning rookie of the year however Evans never really made that next step in his game largely due to injuries and off the court problems he’d played three more years for the Kings before being traded to the Pelicans in 2013 constant knee problems kept him from getting back to the level of play he showed as a rookie consistently in 2019 he was banned from the NBA for violating the League’s drug policy and has never been able to get back to the league number 10 J.R Smith 2004 during his 5e High School career JR Smith was a standout three star athlete dominating in football baseball and basketball as a senior he decided to focus solely on basketball and eventually committed to play at North Carolina however he would elect a forgo college ball and was selected by the Hornets with the 18th pick in the 2004 NBA draft he was a solid player for the franchise but fell out of favor with head coach Byron Scott due to quote poor work ethic in 2006 he was traded to the Bulls but was almost immediately traded again to the Denver Nuggets in his early days there he was involved in a fight against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and was suspended 10 games after a lackluster shooting performance in the playoffs many wondered if he’d ever Liv live up to his potential but the next year he became a spark plug off the bench and finished second in voting for six men of the Year in 2012 Smith signed with the Knicks and posted career highs in points despite coming off the bench with the Knicks Smith finally won six man of the year though playoff success continued to avoid him in 2014 he was traded to the Cs there he quickly became known for one boneheaded play in the finals but was a solid contributor for a team that won the title in 2016 he would finish his career with the Lakers where he won another championship while only playing six games after retiring Smith went to college and played on the men’s golf team number nine Zack Randol 2000 Zebo grew up in Maran Indiana where he blossomed into a star player in high school he would elect to head to Michigan State for college playing alongside Jason Richardson Rand only played for a year but averaged 11- s while helping the team to its third straight final four he was selected 19th overall by the Trailblazers in the 2001 draft while there he had several off thec Court incidents including punching teammate Ruben Patterson in 2003 however by 2005 his game started a round out and he earned the most improved player award in 2007 he was traded to the Knicks for a package that included Steve Francis the next year he was again traded to the clippers for 39 games before being traded again to the Grizzlies there he would turn the player most remember with Memphis he would embrace the grind City Mantra helping turn the team into a perennial playoff Contender and making two All-Star games Unfortunately they never get over the hump in the west and Zebo would leave in 2017 to join the Kings as he age he dropped out of the rotation and retired in 2019 in 2021 he became the first player to have their number retired by the Memphis Grizzlies number eight Jerry Stackhouse 1999 Stackhouse was often cited as the next Michael Jordan during his prep career which makes a ton of sense when you look at the two players game up to that point both stood at 6’6 could jump out of the gym and grew up in North Carolina like Jordan would become a tar heel after an outstanding High School career where he’d play alongside rashed Wallace and Jeff McKinnis during his sophomore season he’d lead them to the final four and pick up national player of the year he then head to the NBA draft for the 76ers made him the third overall pick in his first year he led the team in scoring and was named to the all rookie team the next year the team drafted Allen Iverson and the duo was electric however stack was traded to Detroit Midway through the 97 season and continued to pour in buckets in 2001 he posted a career high of 29.8 points a night after 5 years with the Pistons he was traded to the Wizards for Rip Hamilton and it was there that his career took a turn for the worst following following a devastating knee injury he would continue to play for nine more seasons across five teams but mostly came off the bench and was never able to recapture that scoring prowess he shown early in his career since retiring in 2013 stack house has entered coaching currently serving as the head coach of Vanderbilt number seven Alonzo Morning 1988 as a senior in high school zo averaged 25 points 15 boards and an eye popping 12 blocks per game he then went to Georgetown to play Under John Thompson in his freshman season he led the nation and blocks averaging five per game his overall game improved over the next few years while his blocks went down because his teammate deim took over as the team’s leading shot Blocker in his senior season zo won Big East Player of the Year and became a consensus first team All-American he was drafted second overall by the Hornets in 92 and was joined by Larry grandama Johnson to form one of the most potent Duos in the early 90s NBA unfortunately morning rejected a contract extension and was traded the heat in 95 he’ played there until 2003 when he moved to the nets for two years before coming back to Miami and winning a title in 2006 zo retired in 2008 as a seven-time All-Star and two-time defensive player of the year number six Dwight Howard 2004 in high school Dwight Howard averaged eight blocks a game in addition to dropping 25 points and 18 boards a night he’d skip college and go directly to the NBA where he was the first pick in the 2004 draft with the magic Dwight would grow into one of the most dominant bigs in the league making eight All-Star games and winning Defensive Player of the Year for three years straight widely considered the best big man in the NBA from around 2008 to 2012 Howard led the magic to the 2009 finals unfortunately the team was never able to get over the hump and Howard would head to the Lakers in 2012 he was unable to ever fit in alongside Kobe Bryant and struggled to run quality pick and rolls with Steve Nash following that year in La he’d head to the rockets and play alongside James Harden again his team could never fully turn the corner and over the next several years he’d hop around to several other teams including two more STS with the Lakers winning a title in 2020 playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis Howard moved to the Taiwan league in 2022 playing well but still eyeing a return to the NBA as of 2024 that has yet to manifest but it is impossible to deny how great Howard was as a defensive anchor in his Heyday number five Chris Weber 1991 seaweb was one of the best prep prospects in Michigan history averaging 30 points and 13 boards as a senior before becoming a wolverine his college career was marred by Scandal due to a poorly called timeout in several recruiting violations but you can’t deny that Weber was dominant alongside the rest of the Fab Five he was drafted first overall by the Magic in 93 but was immediately traded the Warriors for Penny Hardaway and future picks over a 16-year career Weber made the All-Star team and all-nba team five times and one Rookie of the Year despite never winning a championship or MVP Weber is widely regarded as one of the 75 best players in NBA history number four Kevin Durant 2006 Durant is where we start getting into the top 15 or 20 players to ever lace him up if you wanted to move him up a spot over the next guy it wouldn’t even get mad Durant is that great and this top four some of the best players in NBA history Durant was destined for the NBA from the jump he was already 6′ tall in middle school and grew to 67 in high school he was widely regarded as the second best player in his class behind Greg Odin by the time he stepped foot on the Texas campus Durant had grown to 69 and he was a force from day one he averaged 26 points on 11 boards winning multiple National Player of the Year Awards became the first freshman to win those Awards he’d head to the NBA after his only Collegiate season and was selected second overall by the Super Sonics in 2007 from the outset his scoring was a weapon any W Rookie of the Year over the next few years the sonics would become the Thunder and had Russell Westbrook James Harden and Serge Ibaka Durant would start to lead the league in scoring by his third season the thunder made the playoffs in 2012 but lost to the heat after that year the Thunder traded away Harden and Durant would continue to grow winning the MVP in 2014 but OKC never made it back to the finals partially due to that KD left for Golden State in free agency and you got to say the move worked for him as the Warriors won the next two titles he’d spend one more year with the Warriors before heading to Brooklyn for three years and then the Suns where he’s currently scoring a bunches alongside Devon Booker at 35 Katie probably has a few more years of solid production before shut things down potentially giving him one or two more runs at a title before he hangs it up that said he’s already an absolute Hall of Famer no matter what happens in the future number three Kevin Garnett 1995 kg was already NBA ready as a high schooler and he proved it by entering the draft for a dominant senior season he was selected fifth overall by the timberl becoming the first high schooler drafted since 1975 that selection was handsomely rewarded as kg became a 15-time All-Star nine-time all NBA selection 12-time all defensive selection four time rebounding champion when the defensive player of the year in 2008 and the MVP in 2004 of course it didn’t all happen with Minnesota as he left the team in 2007 to join Paul Pierce and Ray with the Boston Celtics that team won the championship in 2008 finally giving Garnett the title he craved Garnett would play for a few more years and a few more teams before hanging it up in 2016 number two Shaquille O’Neal 1989 Shaq doesn’t really need a breakdown despite not having the best practice habits and not caring too much about conditioning Shaq is one of the most dominant players in NBA history across six teams he won four titles three finals MVPs and one regular season MVP in addition to making 15 All-Star appearances and eight all NBA first team selections he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary team in 2021 the only thing keeping him from the top spot is the fact that the number one player has a legitimate claim for the best player of all time number one LeBron James 2003 look you know who LeBron is let’s not kid ourselves he’s one of two players mostly consider the go and easily the best player on this list