1. Kobe Bryant kobe-bryant
Kobe Bryant grew raised in household with a history of basketball. In fact, his father Joe played in the NBA for eight years. His father supported him from an early age, originally educating him personally. Much of his boyhood was spent in Italy, where his father went to play ball. Because of this, Kobe is proficient in Italian.
For high school, Kobe came back to the US, where he played for Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. He averaged over 30 points per game during his Junior and Senior year, and was honoured by USA Today and Parade Magazine as Player Of The Year, during his last year. He owns the record for most points in Southeastern Pennsylvania, shattering the records of both Carlin Warley and Wilt Chamberlain.
He was extensively recruited by Duke, but elected to leap directly to the NBA. He was picked by the Charlotte Hornets, but was quickly moved to the Los Angeles Lakers, his favorite club growing up. Over his career, he has been chosen an All Star fourteen times, won an NBA Slam Dunk contest, and led the Lakers to an unbelievable five NBA titles in one decade. He has also played for Team USA in the Olympics, helping them to win gold in both 2008 and 2012. He will surely be recognised as one of the best players of all time.
2. Lebron James lebron-james
Lebron James grew up in Ohio, mostly nurtured by his mother. His step-dad was in and out of prison, but James thinks he built a relationship with him anyway. Lebron attended to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. An excellent player from the outset, he was the only sophomore player ever named to the USA Today All-USA only Team. In only his Junior year, he was on the cover of various sports publications. In his senior year, he averaged 31.6 points per game, and was voted the most valuable player of the Jordan Capital Classic, the EA Sports Roundball Classic, and the McDonald’s All-American Game.
By competing in those three games, he sacrificed his NCAA eligibility, not that it really mattered. He was picked first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He averaged nearly 20 points his debut year, and was voted debut Of The Year. In 2010, he transferred his skills to South Beach and the Miami Heat. Over his still-young career, he has been voted NBA MVP three times, picked as an All Star eight times, has won one NBA championship, and has played for Team USA.
3. Moses Malone moses-malone
Moses Malone played High School basketball at Petersburg High School in Virginia. While there, he guided the squad to an unprecedented 50-game victory run, and two consecutive state championships. He had intended to play for the University of Maryland, but changed his mind, and instead played his freshman year in the American Basketball Association. After two years in the ABA, the league merged with the NBA, and he was moved to the Houston Rockets. Over a 21-year career, with many different clubs, he won one NBA Championship, was voted League MVP three times, and was chosen as an All Star twelve times. The sixth top scorer in NBA history, he was voted one of the 50 greatest players ever, chosen in a poll held by the NBA.
4. Kevin Garnett
kevin-garnett
Kevin Garnett was not just Howard’s influence for playing style; he also motivated him to move directly to the professionals. Garnett grew up in South Carolina, where he and his two sisters were raised mostly by his mother. Oddly enough, his stepfather despised basketball, so we can’t imagine he was particularly encouraging.
As a Junior, he led his team to the state title, and averaged an unbelievable 28.5 points per game. Details are unknown however, the summer before his senior year, Garnett was accused in a case of second-degree public lynching. This drove him to decide to move to a prep school in Chicago.
He led the team to a local championship, and was chosen by USA Today as the High School Player Of The Year. He was picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995, where he played for twelve years, and still maintains numerous of their club records. He was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007, and helped them win the 2008 NBA Title, their first title since 1986. He has been selected an All Star fourteen times in his career.