If there was ever an athlete who could have jumped to the NBA as a high school underclassman, it was LeBron James. He petitioned to enter the draft after his junior year in which he advanced to a third straight state championship, but the NBA shot him down.
James averaged 21 points per game as a freshman, became the first sophomore Ohio Mr. Basketball, was the first junior to land the cover of Sports Illustrated, and had his games broadcast on PPV as a senior. James won three state championships in his four years and became a national celebrity way before social media even existed.
If that wasn’t enough, James was also a prolific football player and as a wide receiver was recruited by the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State and Alabama.
In the NBA, he’s scored over 34,000 points in 17 seasons and still is making a case to be the GOAT.
