Okay, here’s my blog post about figuring out how many NBA players skipped college, written in a casual, personal style:
So, I was watching some NBA highlights the other day, and it got me thinking – how many of these guys actually went to college? I mean, you hear about the one-and-done players all the time, but I was curious about the bigger picture. I decided to dig in and find out.
My Little Research Project
First, I started with a simple search. I just typed in “NBA players who didn’t go to college” or something like that. I figured that would give me a general idea, a starting point, you know?
The initial results were a bit all over the place. Some sites listed a few big names, like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, which I already knew. Others had longer lists, but it wasn’t clear how up-to-date or accurate they were. It was a good start, but I wanted something more solid.
Then, I remembered seeing some articles over the years about rule changes in the NBA regarding draft eligibility. So, I did another search, this time focusing on “NBA draft eligibility rules.” That led me to some official NBA stuff, which was helpful but kind of dense, you know, lots of legal jargon.
I learned That before 2006, players can be selected directly out of high school.
The real breakthrough came when I stumbled upon a few dedicated basketball websites and forums. These places had fans who were way more into this stuff than I was. They had compiled lists, debated eligibility rules, and even tracked players who had taken alternative routes to the NBA, like playing overseas.
I started cross-referencing the information. If a player’s name kept popping up on multiple reputable sites, I figured it was pretty safe to assume they didn’t go to college. I also looked for articles or interviews where the players themselves talked about their path to the league.
What I Found Out
So after I put up with all information. It seems that a significant number of players did skip college, particularly before the NBA’s “one-and-done” rule was implemented. Also, I found that some players didn’t go to college at all, going straight from high school to the NBA.
This whole thing was actually pretty fun. It started with a simple question, and I ended up learning a lot more about the NBA and its history.
