How hard is it to make the NBA? [Archive] - Message Board Basketball Forum

TheMarkMadsen

01-10-2014, 04:10 AM

Mr. Jabbar

01-10-2014, 04:16 AM

theres a better chance of bron winning w/o wade

livingby3's

01-10-2014, 04:16 AM

15 players max per roster. 30 teams. 450 NBA players. Millions ballers.

Myth

01-10-2014, 04:23 AM

How many guys do you know from college or school who were over 6'6 and athletic failed to make the NBA?

Nobody from my high school or college that were over 6'6" sniffed the NBA.

A simple way to see how many fail is by looking at college ball. There is a huge amount of colleges in the US with basketball teams (and don't forget D2 and D3 schools). A huge majority of players over 6'6" do not go to the NBA or are even considered.

JimmyMcAdocious

01-10-2014, 04:26 AM

6-6+ and athletic doesn't guarantee you to the NBA. Even the decent college players with those traits often don't. Stanley Robinson, Raymar Morgan, Rodney Williams, Deshawn Sims.. Recent players, supreme athletes, over 6-6, had good college exposure (Uconn, MSU, Michigan, Minn - deep tournament runs for two of them) and I think none of them have played a single minute in the NBA.

Collie

01-10-2014, 04:35 AM

Take a guy like Shabazz, 6'6, good athleticism, spectacular HS career, decent college career. And he's in the D-League.

JebronLames

01-10-2014, 04:37 AM

theres a better chance of bron winning w/o wade

Means there's a good chance. Lebron won twice without healthy wade :sleeping

theaussieguy

01-10-2014, 04:37 AM

which really makes u appreciate how ****ing amazing nate robinson must be

Dresta

01-10-2014, 04:54 AM

Also, most guys who are over 6'6 tend to move as if their feet had slabs of cement attached to them.

jstern

01-10-2014, 05:07 AM

It's extremely hard, especially for point guards. Despite them still being much taller than the average person, you still have a significant amount of more people closer to a point guard's height so the competition is much more intense.

The taller you are, the higher your chances, even though the chances are still small. You still have to put in a lot of work.

What percentage of kids right now are going to be over 6'8"? What percentage of them get to live in an environment where they get to play basketball regularly? You have to look at that group, and I wonder how many in that group get to make it.

tgan3

01-10-2014, 05:12 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBhY-21wjFg

look at this guy, he looks close to 6'6 and hes super athletic yet his not even playing pro ball

Myth

01-10-2014, 05:15 AM

Also, most guys who are over 6'6 tend to move as if their feet had slabs of cement attached to them.

Even the ones that don't and are athletic have such a tiny chance of making it.

I think starting around 7' is when players can start getting away with just being average in skills.

waseem780

01-10-2014, 05:24 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBhY-21wjFg

look at this guy, he looks close to 6'6 and hes super athletic yet his not even playing pro ball
he is 6'2 its written in the beginning of the video

oarabbus

01-10-2014, 05:29 AM

SacJB Shady

01-10-2014, 05:33 AM

oarabbus

01-10-2014, 05:35 AM

Like my friend said, there are thousands of players in the world as good as lebron but choose not to play in the nba because of their different interests. Some might be into painting, art, or music instead.

:roll:

:wtf:

There may be a couple dozen (if even) humans as athletic as LeBron, but they sure as hell aren't painting. There might be some undiscovered talents in 3rd world countries but they probably wouldn't have had the nutrition, training, opportunity etc to even become as good as Lebron was in HS.

and didn't you have a Kings avatar like not even last week?

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 05:39 AM

SpanishACB

01-10-2014, 05:40 AM

which really makes u appreciate how ****ing amazing nate robinson must be

this... if nate jumped into a street game he would be running circles it would be so amazing to watch

they should make a reality of nba players jumping into random pick up games :pimp:

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 05:48 AM

oarabbus

01-10-2014, 05:49 AM

this... if nate jumped into a street game he would be running circles it would be so amazing to watch

they should make a reality of nba players jumping into random pick up games :pimp:

not exactly what you're saying but:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdFfT2y1NTs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esTAlbeCB7A

then again you got stuff like this hurting the NBA's case :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysv3v7uXblw

edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw2gDlRBmDE
I think this is what you're looking for and its not even a random pickup :eek:

SacJB Shady

01-10-2014, 05:55 AM

:roll:

:wtf:

There may be a couple dozen (if even) humans as athletic as LeBron, but they sure as hell aren't painting. There might be some undiscovered talents in 3rd world countries but they probably wouldn't have had the nutrition, training, opportunity etc to even become as good as Lebron was in HS.

and didn't you have a Kings avatar like not even last week?

Painting, running their own business, maybe playing another sport, or just street ballin. Plus yea lots and lots that would be if they had the opportunity. Plus not everyone does well in school. Some don't have the grades or never went to college. Lots of factors to consider.

inclinerator

01-10-2014, 06:07 AM

Take a guy like Shabazz, 6'6, good athleticism, spectacular HS career, decent college career. And he's in the D-League.
still made it to the nba

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 06:13 AM

Painting, running their own business, maybe playing another sport, or just street ballin. Plus yea lots and lots that would be if they had the opportunity. Plus not everyone does well in school. Some don't have the grades or never went to college. Lots of factors to consider.

No. First, a huge majority of people would attempt sports and be very into it if they had the natural abilities LeBron did growing up, most of them probably getting into basketball because of height. People would notice and they would have become a big deal at an early age with people trying to get them into basketball. Very few with that sort of ability would reject the idea of taking the opportunity to make the money associated with it, if not for personal reasons, it would be to support their family or community.

So, do you honestly believe that there are 1000 people with LeBron's ability, but he is the only 1 to choose basketball? 999 out of 1000 with his ability choose against being in the NBA? Think about that for 1 second.

oarabbus

01-10-2014, 06:17 AM

No. First, a huge majority of people would attempt sports and be very into it if they had the natural abilities LeBron did growing up, most of them probably getting into basketball because of height. People would notice and they would have become a big deal at an early age with people trying to get them into basketball. Very few with that sort of ability would reject the idea of taking the opportunity to make the money associated with it, if not for personal reasons, it would be to support their family or community.

So, do you honestly believe that there are 1000 people with LeBron's ability, but he is the only 1 to choose basketball? 999 out of 1000 with his ability choose against being in the NBA? Think about that for 1 second.

Exactly.

It's like saying there are 1000s of Paul McCartneys or Picassos out there but they chose to play basketball and football instead :hammerhead:

SacJB Shady

01-10-2014, 06:45 AM

No. First, a huge majority of people would attempt sports and be very into it if they had the natural abilities LeBron did growing up, most of them probably getting into basketball because of height. People would notice and they would have become a big deal at an early age with people trying to get them into basketball. Very few with that sort of ability would reject the idea of taking the opportunity to make the money associated with it, if not for personal reasons, it would be to support their family or community.

So, do you honestly believe that there are 1000 people with LeBron's ability, but he is the only 1 to choose basketball? 999 out of 1000 with his ability choose against being in the NBA? Think about that for 1 second.

I'm not saying 1000 people are exactly like Lebron, but similar to other nba stars. Like for instance look at Lin. If he didn't have that breakout week, he would have got fired from the nba and quit. There are many stars that suddenly quit for whatever reason. Think about this. There is a 6 foot 7 girl who works at the Warriors. Very attractive and athletic. I was sure that she played in the WNBA. Nada. Some people just stop playing after HS. Me for instance, I used to make 95 percent of my free throws and I never practiced or trained. I'm not saying I could have made the NBA, but many many people could have and just didn't work hard enough or have the drive. Out of 6 billion people, there are plenty like Lebron or Rose.

inclinerator

01-10-2014, 06:48 AM

I'm not saying 1000 people are exactly like Lebron, but similar to other nba stars. Like for instance look at Lin. If he didn't have that breakout week, he would have got fired from the nba and quit. There are many stars that suddenly quit for whatever reason. Think about this. There is a 6 foot 7 girl who works at the Warriors. Very attractive and athletic. I was sure that she played in the WNBA. Nada. Some people just stop playing after HS. Me for instance, I used to make 95 percent of my free throws and I never practiced or trained. I'm not saying I could have made the NBA, but many many people could have and just didn't work hard enough or have the drive. Out of 6 billion people, there are plenty like Lebron or Rose.
i believe u, there are ppl with probably the same amount of talent but never applied it for whatever reason

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 06:52 AM

I'm not saying 1000 people are exactly like Lebron

there are thousands of players in the world as good as lebron

Could have fooled me.

ripthekik

01-10-2014, 07:13 AM

6'6" is not tall enough.. but talk about being 7 feet. ESPN did a research and came up with the stat that 17% of people over 7 feet have been in the NBA.

So basically, cut out the people who have gigantism diseases etc, if you have all 4 limbs working, and you can jump and run, I say the chance of you in the NBA is like 85%

Now, whether you are good or not is a different story, but to make it to the NBA? Being 7 feet gives you the best odds.

BoutPractice

01-10-2014, 07:25 AM

17% to 85% is a big jump...

ripthekik

01-10-2014, 07:26 AM

17% to 85% is a big jump...
I'm just saying, of that pool of 7 footers.. most of them probably can't even do sports.. There's probably only 1 athletic guy out of 5..

rhowen4

01-10-2014, 07:37 AM

Leftimage

01-10-2014, 07:38 AM

If you're over 6'6 and athletic, are you GUARANTEED to get a shot if you have the sort of average-high skill level a player naturally develops by practising every day?

How many guys do you know from college or school who were over 6'6 and athletic failed to make the NBA?

Do you have to not only be a physical specimen, but also have exceptional skills?

Just trying to get an idea because I don't know anyone who has made it pro.

Of all the sports leagues on earth, I'm willing to bet NBA has the highest ratio of athletes wanting to play vs athletes who get to play. Just an insanely exclusive club of players.

Baseball isn't as popular worldwide & rosters are bigger. Same with football & hockey. Soccer is more popular world-wide but you don't have the same 1-league monopoly over the sport as with the NBA + bigger rosters.

Every single pro basketball player on earth will join the NBA without batting an eyelash, should he get the opportunity. That's a shit load of people competing for 360-450 roster spots.

INSANE prestige :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

There is, however, an even more exclusive club out there...

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m79bqrIEiM1r2khhjo1_1280.jpg

12 spots sought after by every basketball player in America. :pimp:

dr.hee

01-10-2014, 07:52 AM

Like my friend said, there are thousands of players in the world as good as lebron but choose not to play in the nba because of their different interests. Some might be into painting, art, or music instead.

So what you're saying...thousands of players are as good as Lebron...meaning they've played basketball already and have the abilities of a guy who's capable of dropping 26/6/6 on 59% shooting against NBA competition. You also said it was their choice not to play in the NBA due to different interests. Which implies these guys had guaranteed contract offers or knew they'd be drafted by teams, and rejected it on their own terms...so the must've attracted the attention of NBA teams before. Otherwise you won't get offers.

So in short...where the f*ck are the thousands of players out there who are as good as Lebron and refused (lol) to play in the NBA? And if they've attracted the attention of NBA teams in order to get offers they can choose to reject...why haven't we ever heard of them?

Or and even better question...what the hell is between your ears, where many people have something called a "brain"?

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 08:02 AM

12 spots sought after by every American basketball player. :pimp:

Fixed

Stringer Bell

01-10-2014, 08:04 AM

If you are at least 6'6, athletic, and have skills, then your chances go from extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely slim to merely extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely slim.

You have to be amazingly good to even be the crappiest player in the NBA

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 08:05 AM

So what you're saying...thousands of players are as good as Lebron...meaning they've played basketball already and have the abilities of a guy who's capable of dropping 26/6/6 on 59% shooting against NBA competition. You also said it was their choice not to play in the NBA due to different interests. Which implies these guys had guaranteed contract offers or knew they'd be drafted by teams, and rejected it on their own terms...so the must've attracted the attention of NBA teams before. Otherwise you won't get offers.

So in short...where the f*ck are the thousands of players out there who are as good as Lebron and refused (lol) to play in the NBA? And if they've attracted the attention of NBA teams in order to get offers they can choose to reject...why haven't we ever heard of them?

Or and even better question...what the hell is between your ears, where many people have something called a "brain"?

I read his comment like that at first too, but given the point of the thread, I think he meant there are a thousand that would be as good as LeBron if they trained. I still strongly disagree with that though (look at my post on the previous page) and it is crazy to think that none of those 1000 are already in the NBA and challenging LeBron for best player (I guess you can count Durant, but point remains).

SacJB Shady

01-10-2014, 08:20 AM

So what you're saying...thousands of players are as good as Lebron...meaning they've played basketball already and have the abilities of a guy who's capable of dropping 26/6/6 on 59% shooting against NBA competition. You also said it was their choice not to play in the NBA due to different interests. Which implies these guys had guaranteed contract offers or knew they'd be drafted by teams, and rejected it on their own terms...so the must've attracted the attention of NBA teams before. Otherwise you won't get offers.

So in short...where the f*ck are the thousands of players out there who are as good as Lebron and refused (lol) to play in the NBA? And if they've attracted the attention of NBA teams in order to get offers they can choose to reject...why haven't we ever heard of them?

Or and even better question...what the hell is between your ears, where many people have something called a "brain"?

No, now you're trying to get into semantics here. I'm saying there are players out there who have Lebron type potential. Forget Lebron. My point is many players have NBA potential. Steph Curry potential. Dwayne Wade potential. And some are more like Lebron. A lot of these players are street ballers. Maybe they didn't peak in HS so didn't go to college and now they work as garbage men or janitors. But they just don't have the motivation or belief that they could still make it. Plus you needed college to be looked at, it doesn't matter if you're the best street baller in the world.There are lots of tall guys out in the street ball courts.

Some HS players might have quit their team (like a bynum or odom) due to drugs, girlfriend issues, family issues, lack of grades, getting cut like Jordan and quit, or needed to work at an early age. Lots of stuff people just take for granted.

dr.hee

01-10-2014, 08:22 AM

No, now you're trying to get into semantics here. I'm saying there are players out there who have Lebron type potential. Forget Lebron. My point is many players have NBA potential. Steph Curry potential. Dwayne Wade potential. And some are more like Lebron. A lot of these players are street ballers. Maybe they didn't peak in HS so didn't go to college and now they work as garbage men or janitors. But they just don't have the motivation or belief that they could still make it. Plus you needed college to be looked at, it doesn't matter if you're the best street baller in the world.There are lots of tall guys out in the street ball courts.

Some HS players might have quit their team (like a bynum or odom) due to drugs, girlfriend issues, family issues, lack of grades, getting cut like Jordan and quit, or needed to work at an early age. Lots of stuff people just take for granted.

Semantics? You literally said thousands of players are as good as Lebron and chose not to play in the NBA. There's nothing to misinterpret here, just complete nonsense from you.

SacJB Shady

01-10-2014, 08:29 AM

Semantics? You literally said thousands of players are as good as Lebron and chose not to play in the NBA. There's nothing to misinterpret here, just complete nonsense from you.

There are thousands if not more. They might not be as refined as Lebron, but they have Lebron potential. Easily.

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 08:38 AM

There are thousands if not more. They might not be as refined as Lebron, but they have Lebron potential. Easily.

Again, no. Look at my post on page 2. People just don't have LeBron potential and never figure out they are athletic freaks that could make it to the NBA.

SacJB Shady

01-10-2014, 09:30 AM

No. First, a huge majority of people would attempt sports and be very into it if they had the natural abilities LeBron did growing up, most of them probably getting into basketball because of height.

Like I said. A 6 foot 7 girl named Alicia J Smith (google or youtube her) my friend and I were sure she was in the WNBA. She works for the warriors, she's 6 foot 7, looks athletic. Why can't she be in the wnba and be as good as lisa leslie? She is an example of someone who might have decided to do something else. I'm trying to get you to see the bigger picture.

People would notice and they would have become a big deal at an early age with people trying to get them into basketball.

Not necessarily. How many times has someone said you should do this and you rolled your eyes? My aunt told me I should be a psychiatrist. I played with a kid who could dunk in middle school at 5 ft 9. He could kick a soccer ball a whole field. His muscles looked more ripped than David Robinson. But he wasn't wanted on any teams because coaches thought he was trouble. And he had no more work ethic. I had another friend who had no talent at all, but the coach thought he worked his buns off and chose him for high school while the other guy really gifted never played again. People have different paths.

Very few with that sort of ability would reject the idea of taking the opportunity to make the money associated with it, if not for personal reasons, it would be to support their family or community.

Yea you would think so. Everyone walks to a different drum. Plus what about all the players who WERE dedicated but got injured? They might have been concerned about their health like Brandon Roy or maybe had greg Oden knees.

So, do you honestly believe that there are 1000 people with LeBron's ability, but he is the only 1 to choose basketball? 999 out of 1000 with his ability choose against being in the NBA? Think about that for 1 second.

They are not 100 percent Lebron James's. But to be more specific. Do I think there are somewhere around a thousand or several hundred players out there who are about on Lebron's level or at least D Wade's?

YES!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely hell yea!!!!

AI Thornton

01-10-2014, 10:10 AM

Like I said. A 6 foot 7 girl named Alicia J Smith (google or youtube her) my friend and I were sure she was in the WNBA. She works for the warriors, she's 6 foot 7, looks athletic. Why can't she be in the wnba and be as good as lisa leslie? She is an example of someone who might have decided to do something else. I'm trying to get you to see the bigger picture.

Because she can make more money working for the Warriors than going into the WNBA. This is a terrible comparison.

Not necessarily. How many times has someone said you should do this and you rolled your eyes? My aunt told me I should be a psychiatrist. I played with a kid who could dunk in middle school at 5 ft 9. He could kick a soccer ball a whole field. His muscles looked more ripped than David Robinson. But he wasn't wanted on any teams because coaches thought he was trouble. And he had no more work ethic. I had another friend who had no talent at all, but the coach thought he worked his buns off and chose him for high school while the other guy really gifted never played again. People have different paths.

There is a huge difference between your aunt telling you to be a psychiatrist and a giant athlete towering over everybody with all world talent that can be seen in an instant. Btw, when people are smart, they are encouraged to go to college to do something with their intelligence, just like super athletes being encouraged to train in sports.... so thanks for supporting my point there actually. And again, HUGE difference between some all-world talent and some above average athlete. People come out of the wood works to help basketball proteges even when they are trouble makers.

Yea you would think so. Everyone walks to a different drum. Plus what about all the players who WERE dedicated but got injured? They might have been concerned about their health like Brandon Roy or maybe had greg Oden knees.

If you have Brandon Roy and Greg Oden knees that make you incapable of playing basketball, you are not on LeBron's level, plain and simple. LeBron's physical perfections are part of what makes him so rare. And yes, some people do walk to a different drum, but it would not be 999 out of 1000. There is probably a small handful of people who would have been able to be as good as LeBron.

HylianNightmare

01-10-2014, 10:16 AM

2 guys from my high school made the nba
Nick Calathas and Chandler Parsons
ths school has has been open since 1975 and it's currently 2014 so in that time span the school has produced 2 nba talents
seems like a long shot

SacJB Shady

01-10-2014, 01:11 PM

Because she can make more money working for the Warriors than going into the WNBA. This is a terrible comparison.

She wasn't in the NBA before this job though. Prove she makes more.

There is a huge difference between your aunt telling you to be a psychiatrist and a giant athlete towering over everybody with all world talent that can be seen in an instant. Btw, when people are smart, they are encouraged to go to college to do something with their intelligence, just like super athletes being encouraged to train in sports.... so thanks for supporting my point there actually. And again, HUGE difference between some all-world talent and some above average athlete. People come out of the wood works to help basketball proteges even when they are trouble makers.

No because you haven't seen some of them. Some are from other parts of the world. Some just don't care, they're buzzards. Look at Bynum. He hardly wants to play. Just because he gets encouraged, doesn't mean he has to play. I didn't support your point. My point is that people don't do stuff they're told to do. In fact some people like to rebel against their peers and then look back one day and say they should have made it. Only 450 NBA players. There are a lot of players that came and went that would have had top tier talent, but just stopped before they could develop.

If you have Brandon Roy and Greg Oden knees that make you incapable of playing basketball, you are not on LeBron's level, plain and simple. LeBron's physical perfections are part of what makes him so rare. And yes, some people do walk to a different drum, but it would not be 999 out of 1000. There is probably a small handful of people who would have been able to be as good as LeBron.[/QUOTE]

Now you're getting technical, but Lebron has also been lucky to stay healthy too. Sometimes it's a case of luck.

Also, there are a lot of white guys too that would have made the NBA but were taught to focus on school instead, so became doctors and stuff.

oh the horror

01-10-2014, 01:19 PM

This is why I always laugh when people downplay players in the league for having an off night or empty stats or downplay an amazing performance if it's against a "bad team"

Do people realize the level at which these guys are playing on?

AlphaWolf24

01-10-2014, 02:06 PM

I always felt that basketball players are the best athletes out of all the major sports.

- Luckily I got the chance to play with and compete against a few NBA players growing up ( in highschool)...and many Divison 1 BBALL/Football players.

- I remember playing against Jason Kidd....Kidd's hand/eye coordination is non describable. In Highschool , He was so strong / fast....he could Rip any guard and toss them to the ground like a Grown man playing against grade schoolers.

Kidd is just as Big as Tony Gonzalez( TE on the Falcons)..but faster....stronger and on a whole other cognitive skill level.

- I guess my point is.....Pro players are amazing athletes who are generally Bigger faster and stronger then 90% of the population......seriously unless you ever compete against a NBA player.....it's hard to understand just how great of an athletes these guys are.

I played with alot of Bay Area players.....GP , Lamond Murray , Tony Gonzalez, Abdul rahim.....guys could dominate at will...amazing players.....

showed me enough to understand how special NBA/Pro players really are.....and how hard it must be to also put in the work to make it.

IGOTGAME

01-10-2014, 02:23 PM

Like my friend said, there are thousands of players in the world as good as lebron but choose not to play in the nba because of their different interests. Some might be into painting, art, or music instead.

this is just silly. i would be surprised if there were 2/3 other people in the world with Lebron's talent but just didn't know it. You would figure it out just doing everyday things. The difference in coordination, height, strength and speed would just be jolting. He is basically not human.

ALBballer

01-10-2014, 02:26 PM

If you win the genetic lottery and are 7 foot tall then with some skill and coordination you have a good shot.

For the rest of us it is extremely difficult.

Drawing on Centers for Disease Control data, Sports Illustrated‘s Pablo Torre estimated that no more than 70 American men are between the ages of 20 and 40 and at least 7 feet tall. “While the probability of, say, an American between 6’6″ and 6’8″ being an NBA player today stands at a mere 0.07%, it’s a staggering 17% for someone 7 feet or taller,” Torre writes.

(While that claim might seem like a tall tale, more than 42 U.S.-born players listed at 7 feet did debut in NBA games between 1993 and 2013. Even accounting for the typical 1-inch inflation in players’ listed heights would still mean that 15 “true” 7-footers made it to the NBA, out of Torre’s hypothetical pool of about 70 men.)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2013/06/27/nba-draft-is-being-7-feet-tall-the-fastest-way-to-get-rich-in-america/

jstern

01-10-2014, 03:51 PM

Semantics? You literally said thousands of players are as good as Lebron and chose not to play in the NBA. There's nothing to misinterpret here, just complete nonsense from you.
I read and got his point. Forget about basketball, there are thousands of people with potential to do anything, but some would never know it due to life circumstances. That's basically his point, so don't focus so much on a poorly chosen example just to defend what you thought he said.

I could probably have been the GOAT cricket player in the world, if I had been place at the right circumstance, but in my current life, I have no idea how cricket works. That's an example of a scenario, doesn't literally mean that I would be the GOAT cricket player.

I used to have a similar thought back in the 90s. That perhaps there are hundreds, if not thousand of people capable of being as good as Jordan, if they had the same height, but all happened to be under 5'8" so never even began to play basketball.