Odds of Becoming a NBA Basketball Player

What are the chances of making it to the NBA?

Why do we play basketball?

Do you want to play in the NBA?

One of the ultimate goals and dreams of millions is to become a NBA basketball player.

A lot of questions young basketball players have about the NBA surrounds the following: can I make it to the NBA, how to make it to the NBA, what are the odds of playing in the NBA, how to become a NBA player, or even how hard is it to make it to the NBA.

If you have asked yourself this question, then this article is for you!

Making it to the NBA takes a lot of consistent hard-work, luck, determination, basketball skill and talent, exposure, and many other things!

A lot of people say they want to become a NBA basketball player, but if there was a blueprint for how to become a NBA basketball player, would you follow that “How to Be a NBA Player” blueprint perfectly?

A lot of us say yes, but would you really?

The basketball players who make it to the NBA are talented, but they truly work their butts off everyday to make it to that level, spending long hours in the gym, perfecting their game.

It is not easy making it to the NBA. This article isn’t to discourage anyone, but to present the facts.

I have provided some interesting data, see the chart below. Only 0.03% of high school players make it to the NBA!

The odds of playing in the NBA is super low. I remember when I had the dream of becoming a NBA basketball player.

I spent about 4 hours a week working on my game, at my height, that wasn’t enough.

I was at a disadvantage because I’m only 5’9″, so I believe that I would have needed to practice 6-7 hours a day including the weekends to have any chance of playing in the NBA and there is still no guarantee with that type of work-ethic.

Jerry Dupree, a former USC forward spent at least three hours each day in the gym during the week.

One of my favorite basketball quotes was stated by Jason Kidd, “A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you’re going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player”. He couldn’t have said it any better!

Practice…Practice…Practice

For some NBA players, they would spend most of their free time in the gym in order to get away from the world.

Basketball was there way of escaping all of the issues that surrounded them and was a way that allowed them to devote their energy in a controlled environment.

A NBA player’s typical day consists of school, basketball and more basketball. This includes players such as Michael Jordan, who is the best basketball player ever.

There is no question that a lot of time has to be spent to perfect the skill from early on; and many professionals have lived by this virtue.

Before the NBA

U.S. players now have to play one year in college before declaring for the NBA draft. Once you are recruited and land a position with your favorite collegiate program, you need to be a standout basketball player.

Guess what will help you to do that? P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E. Don’t think you can make it just off of talent alone because there are tons of players who have raw talent. AND don’t have the Allen Iverson practice syndrome, “Practice…You talking about Practice!?”.

Before you get the opportunity to play in college, you need to be a standout high school player. This also includes getting exposure at developmental camps, AAU tournaments, and etc.

Some of the notable players that you can do some research on that were drafted or recruited as high school seniors include the following. This will give you an idea of what skills, talent, persistence, dedication, and work-ethic that you will need to posses to go to the NBA after your first year playing college basketball.

Notable High School Players who were Drafted to the NBA:

1995 – Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves), Farragut Academy

1996 – Kobe Bryant (Charlotte Hornets), Lower Merion High School

2003 – Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), St. Vincent-St. Mary

2004 – Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy

Some of the international players drafted include the following players:

2002 – Yao Ming (Houston Rockets), China

2005 – Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks), Australia

2006 – Andrea Bargani (Toronto Raptors), Italy

2013 – Anthony Bennet (Cleveland Cavaliers), Canada

2014 – Anthony Wiggins (Cleveland Cavaliers), Canada

How NBA players perform in High School and College

It is super important to have good grades, especially in high school. One of my family members, will not say any names had some big time basketball programs recruiting him.

He played around in class and didn’t take his academics seriously and he wasn’t able to attend any of those programs. The better your grades are, the less pressure you have on the SAT or ACT.

You still want do your best on those exams! Your academics are super important in high school and college.

In college, you may not get drafted or want to pursue a basketball career after college, so you want to set yourself up for the business world.

Interestingly, a lot of NBA players are average to below average in terms of academic performance. But for some players, they are able to strike a balance and are able to stand out in the academic world.

There is a need for you to be disciplined in your academics, so that you can have a future after basketball.

Recently, basketball in the NBA has started associating itself with excellence and promoting good academic performance in sports.

Performing on the court is super important as well. NBA players are typically dominate in high school! Check out this highlight reel of Kobe, Lebron James, Derrick Rose, and Kevin Durant in high school.

Highlight Video of NBA Players in High School

Some of the notable top academic performers in the NBA include the following players:

Brandon Knight – He was a straight A student in high school

Grant Hill – He was his high school’s Valedictorian

Mark Pope – He wanted to go to Med school before joining the NBA

Chris Bosh – He was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated with Honors

Thaddeus Young – Had a 4.0 GPA at Georgia Tech

Danny Granger – He was accepted to several Ivy League universities

Average NBA Height

Most people associate basketball with tall people. I remember my peers at a young age telling me that I couldn’t be successful at basketball because I was too short.

The average height of a NBA player is 6 feet and 7.62 inches. Don’t let that discourage you if you are not super tall.

If you work hard and get the right opportunity, the skies are the limit. Height alone doesn’t guarantee anyone a spot in the NBA.

Talent, work-ethic, and drive will take you a long way. Some of the research done indicates that the following is the average height of a NBA players by position.

Average NBA Height by Position:

Center – 7 feet 0 inches

Power Forward – 6 feet 10 inches

Small Forward – 6 feet 8 inches

Shooting Guard – 6 feet 6 inches

Point Guard – 6 feet 2 inches

AAU BASKETBALL SPOTLIGHT

Some of the most successful basketball players in the NBA played AAU. The main purpose of AAU is to promote and develop the talent of amateur basketball players.

Some of the players who participated in AAU basketball includes the following; Shaquille O’Neal, Carmelo Anthony, Paul pierce, Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, Baron Davis, Patrick Ewing, and plenty others.

There are others who opted to participate in some of the top basketball camps to get more exposure from college and NBA coaches.

This might be an expensive venture but it has proven to be quite fruitful. The NBA is made up of 45% of players who participated in some type of basketball exposure camp.

Conclusion

Have you ever wonder how to become a NBA player? I think all basketball players want the answer to that question! Guess what? There is no blueprint, you will have to create a way for yourself.

You need to be working on your game everyday, spending long hours in the gym. Working on your fundamentals is super important! This will help you develop your basketball IQ and your ability to adjust and perform in any basketball game.

One important thing to note, you could work on your game everyday and still not make it to the NBA, but you could set yourself up for a healthy basketball career overseas, in the D-League, and etc.

You can’t be drafted to the NBA straight out of college as the rules have changed. To be drafted to the NBA, you must have completed high school and spent at least 1 year playing collegiate basketball.

You also must be at least 19 years old before considering the NBA. A lot of young basketball players dream of making it to the NBA, only a select few are chosen each year, will you prepare your self everyday in hopes of making that dream come true?

I wish I would have had these facts a long time ago, if I did, would I have worked harder?