5 most hyped high school basketball players of all time ft. LeBron James, Zion Williamson

These days, high school basketball stars cannot go directly to the NBA due to an agreement between the NBA and the Players' Union to implement an age restriction. Players can only enter the league at the age of 20, but high school stars are still coming in with a ton of hype these days. This also makes a player's college selection much more important.

With the internet and social media, more and more high school basketball stars are coming in with a lot of hype. Leagues like Nike EYBL Peach Jam and international tournaments like FIBA U17 also help in the hype. But which ones came in with a ton of hype while they were still high school students?

The 5 most hyped high school basketball stars ever

5) Kevin Garnett

Before Kevin Garnett, nobody had ever thought a high school student could go directly into the NBA and make an immediate impact. He changed all of that in 1995 when the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him as the fifth pick of that year's draft.

In high school, he was a McDonald's All-American at Farragut Career Academy and won the national player of the year award in 1995. This soon led to him becoming the first NBA high school draftee and eventually, an MVP and NBA champion. This soon led to more attention to high school basketball.

4) Zion Williamson

When he was young, Zion Williamson was described as a monster athlete, and his reputation spread through the internet fast as he was facing opponents four years older than he was during his AAU days. When he got into high school at Spartanburg Day School, his reputation only took off.

Many watched him grow as many of his games were feratured in highlight reels posted on the internet. Then on Jan. 13, 2018, he impressed even more people when he scored 36 points at the Hoophall Classic in a losing effort to Chino Hills High School. Even though he lost, his stock only grew, and this eventually led him to Duke and the rest is history.

3) Kobe Bryant

When Kevin Garnett skipped college to go to the NBA, it inspired a young man from the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion to do the same, so he worked and worked. He then entered the 1996 NBA Draft where he was picked No. 13 by the Charlotte Hornets. Of course, that young man was Kobe Bryant.

As a high school player, Kobe received plenty of hype, and this was before the rise of social media. He was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans and showed glimpses of how good he would be while playing at Lower Merion.

2) Dwight Howard

In high school, Dwight Howard was so hyped that many saw that he would be the No. 1 NBA Draft pick long before he even graduated. This list is based on the amount of hype these players had, and Dwight certainly had a ton, else he would not have been picked No. 1 by the Orlando Magic in 2004.

Howard was recognized by many as the best American high school basketball player during his high school days and even the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, the Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year Award, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and was named a McDonald's All-American where he won co-MVP honors with JR Smith.

1) LeBron James

Who else would it be? No other high school basketball star has received much media hype than LeBron James, as many of his high school games were nationally televised because the interest in him was so great. Some of his games were even shown on a pay-per-view basis and people gladly paid to watch.

Much like Dwight Howard, his selection as the No. 1 NBA draft pick was a foregone conclusion as he participated in the Jordan Brand Capital Classic and the McDonald's All-American Game. he also led his school, St. Vincent–St. Mary to win Ohio's Division II championship thrice. Because of this, he is considered one of the greatest high school basketball stars of all time.