Which players were widely considered superstars in college/high school?

[90sgoat]

I mean, which players had such a buzz that everyone knew they'd be stars already in college and high school?

Wilt
Kareem
Magic
Bird
MJ
Shaq
Duncan
AI
Lebron
...
...
Zion
Luka

Did I miss anyone?

Someone like KG and Kobe were not sure things as I remember. People were high on them, but it wasn't like Duncan or AI, where everyone agreed they would be stars.

I must miss someone between Lebron and Zion. Curry it wasn't. What about Durant?

I guess my point here is that teams maybe should not try to draft the next big thing, because those really do not come around often. The Wemby hype is a good example and the Zion hype. Why draft on superstar potential and not just draft someone like Brunson, who is a proven winner?

[Clifton]

As for your list, you're right that there are few sure things, and even those are not so sure. You say Luka was a sure thing, but I remember Ricky Rubio having comparable buzz. Some guys are the real deal (or 80% or what you hoped they'd be, at least) but can't stay healthy (Zion, Sampson, Yao). Wembenyama seems a sure thing, but what if he starts going down the injury road?


Why draft on superstar potential and not just draft someone like Brunson, who is a proven winner?
Imagine you have a pick #3-6. You were probably hoping for a #1 or 2, but you didn't get it. There's a temptation to take a big swing. I see it year after year.

Tyrese Haliburton falling is a good example. Everyone was 100% sure he'd be a good pro--everyone. But as I remember, everyone was also sure 100% he'd never be all-NBA. (They were wrong about this, though, apparently, even to my surprise.) If you're picking 3-6 you don't want a guy who projects that way. You want to land the big one.

As you say, it's a mistake. Unless you've got a top 3 or 4 player, your best player guarantees you nothing. It's the teams that find quality rotation and role guys year after year that contend, and then you just need to get lucky.

[pandiani17]

Greg Oden, Andrew Wiggins or Ben Simmons also had that hype. Yao Ming is another one. Anyway, I was surprised you listed my man AI. Wasn't he in jail for four months in High School? And afterwards only Georgetown continued to offer him a scholarship?

[90sgoat]

Greg Oden, Andrew Wiggins or Ben Simmons also had that hype. Yao Ming is another one. Anyway, I was surprised you listed my man AI. Wasn't he in jail for four months in High School? And afterwards only Georgetown continued to offer him a scholarship?

Yao yes, that's right. Simmons and Wiggins, hmm, I think opinion was more split on those.

AI has huuuge hype around him. He was very dominant in college too.

It's true about the jail thing, there were concerns he would literally be in prison instead of NBA, but in terms of hype, huge hype, generational hype.

[90sgoat]

As you say, it's a mistake. Unless you've got a top 3 or 4 player, your best player guarantees you nothing. It's the teams that find quality rotation and role guys year after year that contend, and then you just need to get lucky.

Yes, like Spurs.

Drafting Kawhi, drafting Manu, drafting Parker. Kawhi the best example maybe of what you were speaking of with Haliburton.

I think teams ought to have learned by now.

In stock trading terms, the price of proven value talent, is underpriced in the market and the unproven growth talent is overpriced.

[elementally morale]

Wembanyama for sure. Not in college okay. But given his age he is considered a future superstar. Will he be is another question. (Kwame, Darko, Olowokandi, Oden etc.)

[Mask the Embiid]

Highschool
Andrew Wiggins
Lamelo ball
Lonzo ball
Harrison Barnes
Shabaz muhhamad
Jaylen brown


College
Jj redick
Steph curry
Tyler zeller
Tyler Hansbrough
Adam Morrison


Overseas

Ricky Rubio

[90sgoat]

Highschool
Andrew Wiggins
Lamelo ball
Lonzo ball
Harrison Barnes
Shabaz muhhamad
Jaylen brown


College
Jj redick
Steph curry
Tyler zeller
Tyler Hansbrough
Adam Morrison


Overseas

Ricky Rubio

None of those were considered superstars to be.

[pearlhaira2]

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[BarberSchool]

Fun KG facts:

Mexican Gangbangers almost killed KG with a GMC Jimmy just outside Farragut High School.
Garnett never walked to/from school after that. It was for his constant racial bullying of the Mexican kids at Farragut during his time there (less than 10 at the time%). Now in 2024, Farragut is 65-70% Mexican.

KG lynched a white kid in a South Carolina high school, it’s why he was banned from ever attended any public high school in that state ever again, and wasn’t able to transfer to any other southeastern US high school. had to relocate with his extended family in chicago to finish high school.