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Image credit: Fadeaway World
Throughout NBA history, and especially recently, young NBA talent has been everywhere in the league. Players keep making debuts while they’re teenagers, and the number of players doing so keeps growing. Some of these players stand out more than others, especially when it comes to offense and scoring. From the moment these players stepped onto the basketball court for the first time in the NBA, we knew just how special they could and would be.
Some of the players on our list today either went straight to the NBA in high school or ended up in college. These 10 NBA players entered the league and proved they were ready for the big leagues before they legally bought their first adult beverage. Some of the names on this list will provide the shock value you seek, while others are expected here. Either way, these are some of the best teenage scorers in NBA history.
Here are the 10 NBA players who scored the most points before turning 20.
10. Tracy McGrady – 909 points
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In his prime, Tracy McGrady was known for his incredible scoring ability and ability to shoot the ball in clutch moments. He won the scoring title and stunned audiences around the world with his high-scoring games and moments of miracles. However, that wasn’t always the case, as McGrady struggled to get more playing time during his first few seasons with the Toronto Raptors. In the 1997-98 season, at the age of 18, he completed his rookie debut with the Raptors.
McGrady’s rookie season wasn’t anything to write home about. He appeared in 64 games and started 17 times. In just 18.4 minutes of power play, McGrady averaged 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 block for the Raptors. He played a total of 113 games in the NBA as a teenager, 49 of which came in his second year. In his second season, McGrady averaged 9.3 points on 43.6 percent shooting. If McGrady can get off to a quicker start in Toronto, his name will be higher.
9. Kevin Knox – 963 points
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When Kevin Knox was drafted by the Knicks with the ninth overall pick at age 19, the Knicks immediately gave him a chance to shine. Knox appeared as a 19-year-old in 2018-19, appearing in 75 games and starting 57 times. All of these games took place before he was 20 years old. In his rookie season with the Knicks, Knox had the best season of his career so far. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 37.0 percent shooting.
In the four seasons since his rookie year, the forward from Tampa, Fla., has been in trouble. Knox has been relegated to the bench every year since 2019 and was traded to the Hawks in 2022 for Cam Reddish, who doesn’t currently have much time on the court in New York either. Knox will spend the 2022-23 season with the Detroit Pistons. He came off the bench for Detroit in 19 games, averaging 5.1 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 45.6 percent from the field.
8. Devin Booker – 1,087 points
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As of the 2022-23 season, Devin Booker has become one of the most complete players in basketball. His scoring improved each season, and he found a permanent home with the Phoenix Suns. He has already helped Phoenix reach the NBA Finals in 2021 and has the best record in basketball during the start of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Booker had some rough seasons before the Suns started building the right team around him.
Booker played in 78 games when he left Kentucky at age 19. As a rookie, he played in 76 games for a Phoenix team that won just 23 games. Booker made 51 starts as a rookie under coach Jeff Hornacek. He’s averaging 13.8 points while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three. Booker’s best performance as a rookie came in a loss to the Nuggets, where he scored 35 points on 12-24 shooting. Of course, Booker’s scoring has improved a lot, and he’s averaging 28.4 points per game so far in the 2022-23 season.
7. Luka Doncic – 1,194 points
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Luka Doncic probably achieved the most of any player on this list before reaching the age of 20. Before he set his sights on the NBA, Doncic was already a Real Madrid pro and Real Madrid’s MVP. From the moment he debuted, fans and pundits saw just how special he was going to be. That potential will peak in the 2022-23 season as he pursues his first MVP award. When he took over the proverbial Dallas Mavericks torch from the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, the keys were handed to Luka as a rookie almost immediately.
Luka made his Mavericks debut as a 19-year-old in the 2918-19 season. Of his 72 starts that season, 57 came as a teenager. Donvcic earned Rookie of the Year with 21.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.0 SPG. The world took notice when we watched the young man look confused as he let grown men and veterans separate them with the ball in his hand. Those predictions are starting to come true as Doncic begins to defend his title as the best player in the world.
6. Dwight Howard – 1,243 points
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Fresh out of high school, it was immediately clear what kind of force Dwight Howard was going to be in the NBA. Not only has he become one of the best in basketball in the blink of an eye, but his presence on the court has cemented his status as a superstar. Howard is currently playing overseas in Taiwan after 18 incredible seasons in the league. In his prime, he was the most dominant player we’ve seen since O’Neal, who also led Orlando to the Finals the way Howard did in 2009.
Howard played a full 100 games for the Magic at age 19 before his 20th birthday in his second season. Howard started 18 games with the Magic as a rookie and averaged 12.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the 2004-05 season. After just a few seasons, he was recognized as the best defensive player in basketball and led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009. Howard has won 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards, 5 rebounding titles and 2 career blocked shots titles in his career. He also won his first NBA championship in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
5. Anthony Edwards – 1,392 points
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Edwards is the only player on this list to debut in the 2020-21 season or later. Edwards was drafted first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves at age 19. Edwards’ skills were on full display from the start of his career, even when he lost the Rookie of the Year contest to LaMelo Ball. The development of Edwards over the past 3 seasons has Minnesota poised to actually make the playoffs in the near future based on Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.
As for his rookie season at age 19, Edwards made 72 starts for the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves won just 23 games, but the future looked bright with Edwards on the floor. He averaged 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Minnesota knew they had their own franchise star because he put up two 42-point performances that rookie season, showing tertiary scoring and a real feel for a game so young.
4. Kevin Durant – 1,624 points
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As it stands, Kevin Durant is known as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Durant has developed into an unstoppable 7-foot-0 offensive weapon who is sure to go straight to the Hall of Fame when his career is over. By the time he came out of Texas after a year in school, skill and potential had been the talk of the town. Durant was 19 when he made his debut during the 2007-8 season when the Thunder were still in Seattle and were known as the Sonics.
Durant started 80 games for the Sonics in his rookie season. He will be the Rookie of the Year with 20.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG. He hasn’t been as efficient as it is today, shooting 28.8 percent from 3-point range. It’s no secret that things have gotten better as Durant has continued to refine his game. Durant has won the MVP award, 2 NBA championships, 2 Finals MVP awards and 4 scoring titles. For the 2022-23 Brooklyn Nets, Durant is averaging 29.9 points and shooting 55.3 percent from the field.
3. Carmelo Anthony – 1,725 ββpoints
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports
I have a definite feeling that most NBA fans in today’s world have truly forgotten what a gifted scorer Carmelo Anthony was as a young Denver Nugget. Anthony was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 Nuggets after leading Syracuse to a national championship in his lone season in college. As it turns out, Anthony was ready almost immediately the moment he stepped foot in the NBA. He showed strength, great shooting skills and a range of moves that defenders couldn’t stop.
Anthony played and started all 82 games for the Nuggets as a 19-year-old rookie. Anthony competed with LeBron James for the Rookie of the Year award and lost to the Kings. Anthony finished his rookie season with averages of 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals. Anthony would go on to put his name in the top 10 of the NBA’s all-time scoring list, earning himself the scoring title in 2013.
2. Kobe Bryant – 1,759 points
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Of all the people on today’s list, Kobe Bryant played more games before he turned 20 than anyone else. Bryant came out of high school as one of the top players in the country poised to make his mark in the NBA. Bryant would go on to become one of the greatest icons in the history of the sport, winning 5 NBA Championships and 2 Finals MVPs during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant played 2 seasons in the NBA before turning 20, totaling 150 games as a teenager.
During those two seasons as a teenager, Bryant came off the bench most of the time, starting just seven times in 150 games. In his second season, he was an All-Star at age 19. In his rookie season, he averaged 7.6 points in just 15.5 minutes per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field. In his second season as a pro, he made a huge All-Star leap. Bryant averaged 15.4 points on 42.8 percent shooting in just one start in 79 games. Just two seasons later, Bryant helped the Lakers achieve 3 consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002.
1. LeBron James – 2,362 points
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Who expected more from them than LeBron James when he graduated from high school in 2003? Here’s a kid who was declared the draft pick and who made the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager. It’s safe to say that James has shattered those expectations and went on to be a 4-time champion, 4-time Finals MVP and 4-time MVP. James also hopes to join the Lakers as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the 2022-23 season.
James played a total of 108 NBA games as a teenager, 108 of which were starts. LeBron won the Rookie of the Year award in 2003-04 with 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals. He started his second season at age 19 and played 29 games before turning 20. As a teenager, James averaged 21.9 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting. Before turning 20, no other player had the impact James had on a team like he did with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is one of the many reasons why some consider LeBron James to have the greatest career of all time.
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