LeBron James’ talent as a basketball player has always been easy to notice. Ever since he played in high school, people knew he had what it took to usher in an era in the NBA, like what’s happening now. “The King’s” ability is so great that he doesn’t even need to go to college to reach the best level of basketball in the world.
That’s right, “King James” entered the NBA directly from high school. This happened because in 2003, players were not required to participate in the college circuit, so if they were good enough, they could enter the league draft out of high school; such was the case with the four-time regular season and Finals MVP.
The rules that allow this to happen have been in effect since 1995, allowing any player of legal age who has completed high school to be eligible for the NBA rookie draft. This rule was changed in 2006, prohibiting players from entering the NBA without completing college.
The four-time NBA MVP spent his entire college career at St. Vincent-St. Louis University. Mary. The high school is located in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. He played there for four seasons, from 1999-2000 to 2002-2003. James totaled 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists.
In 2003, “LBJ” was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the first round of the rookie draft.