Whatever Happened to the 2007 McDonald’s All-American Team?

The 2007 McDonald's All-American Game featured two future NBA Most Valuable Player Award winners.

There is no more prestigious honor that can be bestowed upon a high school basketball player in the U.S. than being named to the McDonald’s All-American Team. That’s a full stop. It doesn’t get any better.

The reason the game is held in such high esteem is because, for over 40 years, the McDonald’s All-American Team has featured the future stars of college basketball and the NBA — national champions, All-Americans, No. 1 picks and Hall of Famers.

Perhaps the most underrated year of all time for the McDonald’s All-American Game was 2007, which featured two future NBA Most Valuable Players and two future No. 1 overall draft picks. For some of the players, the ensuing years have been more than kind, as they’ve become rich and famous beyond their wildest dreams. For others, that day playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game may have been as good as it ever got.

The West won by the way, 114-112, in front of almost 12,000 fans at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, and the West’s Michael Beasley was named MVP.

Here’s a look at what happened to the 2007 McDonald’s All-American Team, ranked by how their careers eventually played out.

24. Taylor King, Small Forward (West)

Ricardo Arduengo / AP Photo

High school: Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-8, 218 pounds

Colleges: Duke/Villanova/Concordia

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), California Mr. Basketball (2007)

Bottom line: King is one of the few players on this list who saw their careers peak in high school, where he set school career and single-season records for scoring and rebounding at Mater Dei High.

King signed with Duke out of high school but transferred to Villanova after one season. He also left Villanova after one season, briefly transferred to USC and finished his college career playing in the NAIA at Concordia (Calif.) before playing seven seasons of professional basketball overseas and in the NBA G-League.

23. Jai Lucas, Point Guard (West)

Harry Cabluck / AP Photo

High school: Bellaire High School (Bellaire, Texas)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 150 pounds

Colleges: Florida/Texas

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007)

Bottom line: Jai Lucas had an inside lane to basketball stardom through his father, John Lucas II, a longtime NBA player and NBA head coach, and older brother, John Lucas III, an NBA player as well. Jai Lucas wasn’t quite up to their speed but had a solid freshman season at Florida when he averaged 8.5 points and 2.3 assists. He transferred to Texas for the rest of his career and averaged 3.0 points and 0.9 assists over the next three seasons.

Jai Lucas played two seasons of pro basketball overseas and in the NBA G-League before he got into college coaching, where he’s been one of the nation’s top recruiters over the last decade and is currently the associate head coach at Duke.

22. Chris Wright, Point Guard (East)

Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP Photo

High school: St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds

College: Georgetown

Career highlights: Three-time Washington Post All-Metro (2005-07), Parade All-American (2007), NBA Developmental League All-Star (2013), All-FIBA Europe Cup (2016)

Bottom line: Wright was the first high school player to be named Washington Post All-Metro for three consecutive years since Adrian Dantley in the early 1970s, but he battled injuries during four seasons at Georgetown.

Wright went undrafted in 2011 and has been playing professionally overseas for the last 12 years, including leading the Turkish League in assists in 2021.

21. Corey Stokes, Shooting Guard (East)

Michael Perez / AP Photo

High school: Saint Benedict’s Prep (Newark, New Jersey)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds

College: Villanova

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), All-Big East (2011)

Bottom line: Stokes played high school basketball at powerhouse Saint Benedict’s Prep for perhaps the greatest high school basketball coach of all time, Dan Hurley, and helped lead the team to several state championships.

While Stokes was a great high school basketball player, he was a pretty average player at Villanova and eventually played two seasons of professional basketball overseas and in the NBA G-League before he was out of the game.

20. Austin Freeman, Shooting Guard (East)

Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP Photo

High school: DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Maryland)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 215 pounds

College: Georgetown

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), two-time All-Big East (2010, 2011), Big East All-Freshman Team (2008)

Bottom line: Freeman was a star for powerhouse DeMatha Catholic and a two-time All-Big East pick at Georgetown but never had quite what it took to make it to the NBA.

He went undrafted in 2011 and has been playing professionally overseas since 2011.

19. Gani Lawal, Power Forward/Center (East)

Stanley Leary / AP Photo

High school: Norcross High School (Norcross, Georgia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds

College: Georgia Tech

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), Mr. Georgia Basketball (2007), two-time All-ACC (2009, 2010), Greek Cup champion (2015), Italian Serie A champion (2014), Italian Serie A All-Star (2013)

Bottom line: Lawal had a really good college career but made a couple of key mistakes. The first key mistake was going to Georgia Tech. The second was not leaving after his sophomore season in 2009 after he averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds and was a surefire first-round pick.

Lawal went back to Georgia Tech for one more season, his numbers went down, and so did his draft stock. He was drafted in the second round by the Phoenix Suns in 2010 and spent one season with the franchise before embarking on one of the more amazing basketball odysseys of all time. Since leaving the Suns in 2011, Lawal has played for 29 professional teams in 15 different countries: Poland, China, France, Italy, Latvia, Turkey, Greece, Iran, Argentina, Japan, the Philippines, Slovenia, Israel, Qatar and Venezuela, where he’s currently on the roster for the Trotamundos B.B.C.

18. Donte Greene, Power Forward (East)

Kevin Rivoli / AP Photo

High school: Towson Catholic High School (Baltimore, Maryland)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 210 pounds

College: Syracuse

Career highlights: Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year (2007), Parade All-American (2007), All-Big East (2008), Big East All-Freshman Team (2008)

Bottom line: Greene was a big-time recruit who got exposed in one year of college basketball at Syracuse, where his poor shot selection and poor defense almost saw him drop out of the first round of the NBA Draft.

Greene was picked No. 28 overall in 2008 and spent four seasons with the Sacramento Kings before spending another six years playing overseas.

17. Patrick Patterson, Power Forward (East)

James Crisp / AP Photo

High school: Huntington High School (Huntington, West Virginia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds

College: Kentucky

Career highlights: Three-time Class AAA state champion (2005-07), Parade All-American (2007), two-time All-SEC (2009, 2010), SEC All-Defensive Team (2010), SEC Rookie of the Year (2008)

Bottom line: Patterson was one of two players from Huntington High on the 2007 McDonald’s All-American Team alongside O.J. Mayo, who only played for Huntington his senior season.

Patterson won three consecutive state championships at Huntington and had one of the more unusual careers in Kentucky history when he was recruited by head coach Tubby Smith, who was replaced by Billy Gillispie, who lasted two seasons and was replaced by John Calipari in 2009-10 (Patterson’s final season).

Patterson was still selected No. 14 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2010 NBA Draft and played 11 seasons in the NBA for five different teams.

16. JJ Hickson, Power Forward (East)

Laura Rauch / AP Photo

High school: Wheeler High School (Marietta, Georgia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds

College: North Carolina State

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), ACC All-Freshman Team (2008)

Bottom line: Hickson dominated for Wheeler High as a senior, averaging 25.9 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as his team made the state semifinals. Hickson was one of the best post players in the ACC in his one season at North Carolina State when he averaged 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds and set the ACC single-game record for a freshman with 23 rebounds against Clemson.

Hickson was selected No. 19 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a pretty decent player for eight NBA seasons.

15. James Anderson, Small Forward (West)

Brody Schmidt / AP Photo

High school: Junction City High School (Junction City, Arkansas)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 195 pounds

College: Oklahoma State

Career highlights: Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year (2007), Class 2A state champion (2007), Parade All-American (2007), two-time Arkansas Mr. Basketball (2006, 2007), three-time All-Big 12 (2008-10), Big 12 Player of the Year (2010), AP All-American (2010), two-time EuroLeague champion (2021, 2022), two-time Turkish League champion (2018, 2021), Lithuanian LKL champion (2015), Lithuanian LKL All-Star (2015)

Bottom line: Anderson led Junction City High to the Arkansas Class 2A state championship as a senior in 2007, scoring 43 points in the championship game.

Anderson played three seasons at Oklahoma State and was named Big 12 Player of the Year in 2010 before he left school one year early and was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Anderson spent five seasons in the NBA and has played overseas since 2016, where he’s been one of the best players in European leagues.

14. Kosta Koufos, Center (East)

Wade Payne / AP Photo

High school: GlenOak High School (Canton, Ohio)

Height/Weight: 7-foot-1, 260 pounds

College: Ohio State

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), FIBA U18 European Championship MVP (2007), National Invitation Tournament MVP (2008), All-Big Ten (2008), Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2008)

Bottom line: NBA teams should have looked a little closer at Koufos following his one season at Ohio State after starring at GlenOak High. Even though he was one of the team’s best players, the Buckeyes didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament.

Koufos was still selected No. 23 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and played a more-than-respectable 10 seasons in the NBA, averaging 5.5 points and 5.0 rebounds for his career.

13. Nolan Smith, Point Guard (East)

Tony Ding / AP Photo

High school: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds

College: Duke

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), NCAA champion (2010), two-time All-ACC (2010, 2011), ACC All-Defensive Team (2011), ACC Player of the Year (2011), AP All-American (2011), Croatian League champion (2014), Croatian League All-Star (2014)

Bottom line: Smith played alongside three other future NBA players, including fellow 2007 McDonald’s All-American Michael Beasley, in his two seasons at Oak Hill Academy.

Smith led Oak Hill to a 40-1 record and the USA Today high school basketball national championship as a senior in 2006-07, and he was the starting shooting guard for Duke three years later when the school won the NCAA title. Smith was drafted No. 21 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers and played two seasons in the NBA. He was an assistant coach at Duke from 2016 to 2022 and is currently an assistant coach at Louisville.

12. Jerryd Bayless, Guard (West)

Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

High school: St. Mary’s High School (Phoenix, Arizona)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds

College: Arizona

Career highlights: Two-time Parade All-American (2006, 2007), All-Pac-10 (2008)

Bottom line: Bayless stayed in his home state to play college basketball for Arizona, where he became the first freshman to lead the Wildcats in scoring … even though the team went 19-14 and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Bayless was an NBA lottery pick in 2008, going No. 11 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers, but he spent his career as a journeyman on eight different teams over 11 seasons.

11. Kyle Singler, Small Forward (West)

Rob Carr / AP Photo

High school: South Medford High School (Medford, Oregon)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 210 pounds

College: Duke

Career highlights: Class 6A state champion (2007), two-time Parade All-American (2006, 2007), NCAA champion (2010), ACC Rookie of the Year (2008), four-time All-ACC (2008-11), NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2010), NBA All-Rookie Team (2013)

Bottom line: Singler was one of two high school players from Oregon on the McDonald’s All-American Team in 2007, alongside Lake Oswego’s Kevin Love, his AAU teammate. Singler led South Medford High to the Class 6A state championship in 2007 and led Duke to a national championship three years later when he was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2010.

He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft but played overseas in 2011-12 before returning to play six seasons in the NBA.

10. Nick Calathes, Point Guard (East)

Phil Sandlin / AP Photo

High school: Lake Howell High School (Winter Park, Florida)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds

College: Florida

Career highlights: Class 5A state champion (2007), two-time Florida Mr. Basketball (2006, 2007), Parade All-American (2007), All-SEC (2009), SEC Rookie of the Year (2008), EuroLeague champion (2011), two-time All-EuroLeague Team (2018, 2019), EuroCup champion (2013), EuroCup MVP (2013), All-EuroCup Team (2013), six-time Greek League champion (2010, 2011, 2017-20), three-time Greek League MVP (2017-19), Greek Cup MVP (2019), four-time Greek League All-Star (2011, 2018-20), two-time Spanish Cup champion (2021, 2022), Liga ACB champion (2021)

Bottom line: If you’re anything like me, you had to do a double-take at Calathes’ accomplishments playing professional basketball overseas for the last 15 years, where he’s apparently become one of the greatest EuroLeague players of all time.

Before all that, Calathes was one of the greatest high school basketball players in Florida history, teaming with future college teammate and NBA player Chandler Parsons to lead Lake Howell to the Class 5A state championship — future VCU star Joey Rodriguez was also on the team.

Calathes, who is half-Greek, played two seasons for Florida before leaving to play pro basketball in Greece. He was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft but didn’t play in the NBA until 2013 when he spent two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies before returning to Greece.

9. Cole Aldrich, Center (West)

Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

High school: Jefferson High School (Bloomington, Minnesota)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds

College: Kansas

Career highlights: Minneapolis Star Tribune Player of the Year (2007), Parade All-American (2007), NCAA champion (2008), AP All-American (2010), Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2009), All-Big 12 (2009), Big 12 All-Defensive Team (2009)

Bottom line: Aldrich’s contribution to Kansas winning the national championship in 2008 came down to one of the great, selfless individual performances in program history.

Buried behind three future NBA Draft picks in the post for the Jayhawks, Aldrich averaged just 8.3 minutes per game as a freshman, but in the national semifinals against North Carolina, he played 16 minutes and outplayed National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough with seven points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the win.

Aldrich was an All-Big 12 pick in 2009 and an All-American in 2010 before the Oklahoma City Thunder made him a lottery pick in 2010. Aldrich played eight seasons in the NBA for six different teams.

8. Jonny Flynn, Point Guard (East)

Lance Murphey / AP Photo

High school: Niagara Falls High School (Niagara Falls, New York)

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 172 pounds

College: Syracuse

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2007), Mr. New York Basketball (2007), Big East Tournament MVP (2009), Big East Rookie of the Year (2008), NBA All-Rookie Team (2010), NBL All-Star (2012), All-NBL Team (2012)

Bottom line: Flynn was a phenomenal high school player at Niagara Falls High — one of the best in New York history — then starred at Syracuse for two seasons before entering the NBA Draft.

That’s when things went a bit sideways. Flynn was picked No. 6 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was one pick ahead of fellow point guard, two-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, who was taken No. 7 overall by the Golden State Warriors.

7. O.J. Mayo, Shooting Guard (East)

Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

High school: Huntington High School (Huntington, West Virginia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds

College: USC

Career highlights: Three-time Parade All-American (2005-2007), West Virginia High School Player of the Year (2007), Mr. Basketball USA (2007), two-time Ohio Mr. Basketbal (2005, 2006), All-Pac-10 (2008), Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (2008), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009), SBL All-Star (2019)

Bottom line: Mayo played six years of high school basketball for three different high schools in three different states — Kentucky allows seventh and eighth grades to play varsity — but ended his career alongside fellow 2007 McDonald’s All-American Patrick Patterson at Huntington High.

Mayo was a victim of the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2005 that shut down the high school-to-NBA pipeline. Mayo spent one season at USC, which had to forfeit all its wins with him after an NCAA investigation before he was selected No. 3 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Mayo was runner-up for NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009, suspended for drugs in 2010 and then received the NBA’s stiffest sentence — a two-year ban for testing positive for drugs again in 2016. That ban kept him from playing pro basketball anywhere until 2018. He’s played in Taiwan, China, Russia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia for the last five seasons.

6. Michael Beasley, Forward (West)

Orlin Wagner / AP Photo

High school: Notre Dame Preparatory School (Fitchburg, Massachusetts)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds

College: Kansas State

Career highlights: Parade All-American (2006), All-Big 12 (2008), Big 12 Player of the Year (2008), AP All-American (2008), National Freshman of the Year (2008), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009), CBA Foreign MVP (2016), CBA champion (2019), two-time CBA All-Star (2015, 2016), two-time CBA All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2016)

Bottom line: Please pay special attention to Beasley’s listed height and weight — everyone believed he was 6-foot-10 until the 2008 NBA Draft when we found out he was actually 6-foot-8. It’s more of a credit to Beasley’s play that we never really noticed. The No. 1 overall recruit for the Class of 2007, Beasley attended six high schools in four states and was named 2007 McDonald’s All-American Game MVP before landing at Kansas State.

Beasley was a sensation in his one college season before he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. Beasley played parts of 11 seasons in the NBA for seven different teams and has played professionally in China and Puerto Rico since 2019.

5. Blake Griffin, Power Forward (West)

Alonzo Adams / AP Photo

High school: Oklahoma Christian School (Edmond, Oklahoma)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 245 pounds

College: Oklahoma

Career highlights: Four-time Class 3A/2A state champion (2004-07), two-time The Oklahoma Player of the Year (2006, 2007), Parade All-American (2007), Big 12 Player of the Year (2009), AP All-American (2009), National College Player of the Year (2009), six-time NBA All-Sar (2011-15, 2019), five-time All-NBA Team (2012-15, 2019), NBA Rookie of the Year (2011), NBA All-Rookie Team (2011), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2011)

Bottom line: Griffin was a midwestern prep sensation after leading Oklahoma Christian School to four consecutive state championships from 2004 to 2007 before becoming one of the most high-profile recruits in Oklahoma history. Griffin spent two seasons dominating college foes and swept every major National Player of the Year Award as a sophomore before the Los Angeles Clippers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

He was one of the NBA’s best power forwards for almost a decade but has spent the last few years primarily as a role player.

4. Eric Gordon, Shooting Guard (West)

Jeff Roberson / AP Photo

High school: North Central High School (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 212 pounds

College: Indiana

Career highlights: Two-time Parade All-American (2006, 2007), Indiana Mr. Basketball (2007), Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2008), All-Big Ten (2008), AP All-American (2008), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2017), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2017)

Bottom line: One of the greatest high school basketball players in Indiana history, Gordon scored over 50 points twice as a senior at North Central High and scored 43 points in a nationally televised game against Loyola Academy.

Gordon flipped his college commitment from Illinois to Indiana and dominated college competition in his one season with the Hoosiers, and then he was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Gordon is headed into his 16th NBA season in 2023-24 and was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2017.

3. Derrick Rose, Point Guard (West)

Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

High school: Simeon Career Academy (Chicago, Illinois)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds

College: Memphis

Career highlights: Two-time Class AA state champion (2006, 2007), three-time Parade All-American (2005-07), Illinois Mr. Basketball (2007), AP All-American (2008), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009), NBA Rookie of the Year (2009), NBA MVP (2011), three-time NBA All-Star (2010-12), All-NBA Team (2011)

Bottom line: Rose was absolute lightning in a bottle for a four-year stretch from his senior year of high school in 2007 through winning NBA MVP honors with the Chicago Bulls in 2011 — he’s one of the two or three most exciting basketball players in the world.

In the history of Chicago high school basketball, Simeon Career Academy became the first Chicago public school to win back-to-back state championships behind Rose’s brilliance. He led Memphis to the NCAA championship game in his one college season and then was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Rose was named the NBA MVP in 2011 and led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals but never even approached those heights again. He tore his ACL in the 2012 NBA Playoffs and played just 10 games over the next two seasons. He’s been essentially a role player ever since.

2. Kevin Love, Power Forward (West)

Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

High school: Lake Oswego High School (Lake Oswego, Texas)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-19, 255 pounds

College: UCLA

Career highlights: Class 6A state champion (2006), two-time Parade All-American (2006, 2007), Gatorade National Player of the Year (2007), Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2007), AP All-American (2008), Pac-10 Player of the Year (2008), All-Pac-10 (2008), NBA champion (2016), five-time NBA All-Star (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018), two-time All-NBA Team (2012, 2014), NBA Most Improved Player (2011), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2012), Olympic gold medalist (2012)

Bottom line: One of the greatest power forwards of his generation, Love was the Gatorade National Player of the Year for Lake Oswego High as a senior in 2007.

Love finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in Oregon high school basketball history before spending one season at UCLA, where he was Pac-10 Player of the Year and led the Bruins to the Final Four. Love was selected No. 5 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft and was entering his 16th NBA season in 2023-24. Love is a five-time All-Star and teamed with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA championship.

1. James Harden, Shooting Guard (West)

Danny Moloshok / AP Photo

High school: Artesia High School (Lakewood, California)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 215 pounds

College: Arizona State

Career highlights: Two-time CIF Open Division state champion (2006, 2007), Parade All-American (2007), two-time All-Pac-10 (2008, 2009), Pac-10 Player of the Year (2009), AP All-American (2009), NBA MVP (2018), 10-time NBA All-Star (2013-22), seven-time All-NBA Team (2013-15, 2017-20), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2012), NBA All-Rookie Team (2010), NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Olympic gold medalist (2012)

Bottom line: Harden’s path to becoming one of the greatest scorers in basketball history began at Artesia High, where he led his school to back-to-back California state championships — an almost impossible task if you know anything about high school sports.

Harden never stopped lighting up the scoreboard and always did it in his own way, guiding Pac-10 doormat Arizona State to the NCAA Tournament. He’s spent the last 15 years torching NBA competition, winning three scoring titles and NBA MVP honors in 2018.

When Harden’s current contract with the Philadelphia 76ers runs out after the 2023-24 season, he will have racked up approximately $340 million in career earnings.