The NCAA in the 21st century became a less attractive place for NBA prospects to develop due to a wide range of restrictions and regulations, particularly on player income. Reggie Harding was the first high school player to skip college, getting drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1962 29th overall. Kevin Garnett is credited as turning the concept into a movement in 1995, being followed by the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Then in 2008, point guard Brandon Jennings took his own entirely new and innovative path.
July 16, 2008: PG Brandon Jennings become the 1st American to go directly from high school to a professional European team by signing a contract with Virtus Roma (Italy), bypassing the NCAA which became a much more popular trend in the years that followed
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 16, 2021
pic.twitter.com/0utxO5fSch
BRANDON JENNINGS STARTED THE TREND OF SKIPPING NCAA TO PROS
Brandon Jennings’s trailblazing decision to play basketball with professional Italian team Virtus Roma rather than the NCAA inspired American players to take a more profitable road to the pros, and perhaps more beneficial. A league with professionally trained adults, some former NBA players, surely offered a more rigorous environment than the NCAA. Several players have followed suit since then, including Emmanuel Mudiay, R.J. Hampton, and Charlotte Hornets Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball.
July 16, 2008: PG Brandon Jennings become the 1st American to go directly from high school to a professional European team by signing a contract with Virtus Roma (Italy), bypassing the NCAA which became a much more popular trend in the years that followed
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 16, 2021
pic.twitter.com/0utxO5fSch
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