Ranking the youngest players to ever play in the NBA

The rules on age eligibility in the NBA have changed numerous times, from requiring four years removed from high school before 1971 to requiring 19 years old today.

The new rules have been in place since 2006, but before that, especially in the 1990s and early 2000s, there was an influx of players who were barely 18 when they entered the league. Here they are!

Selected 12th in the 2005 NBA Draft, Yaroslav Korolev debuted for the LA Clippers against the Atlanta Hawks on November 4th, 2005.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The 6ft10 forward played a minimal role for the LA Clippers and was waived before the 2007/08 season. He spent the rest of his career playing professional basketball in Europe.

Drafted ninth in the 1997 NBA Draft, Tracy McGrady spent much of his first three seasons with the Toronto Raptors coming off the bench. He came off the bench in his debut on October 31st, 1997.

McGrady enjoyed a Hall of Fame NBA career despite his injuries during the prime of his career. According to Fadeaway World, he was one of the most gifted offensive players the league has ever seen, and even scored 13 points in 33 seconds. He was a seven-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA player.

Bill Willoughby was one of the first players to use the 1971 Haywood Ruling to enter the NBA straight out of high school in 1975. The Atlanta Hawks selected him 19th, and he made his debut on October 23rd, 1975, against the New Orleans Jazz.

Willoughby was one of the most impressive athletes in the NBA at the time, and even blocked Kareem Abdul Jabbar's signature skyhook. He played for six teams in eight years and averaged six points.

Serbian Darko Milicic was selected second by the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft. He debuted on October 31st, 2003, and averaged 4.7 minutes in 34 games as the Pistons won the NBA Finals in his debut season.

The NBA website reports that Milicic is the youngest player to play in the NBA Finals and win an NBA Championship. According to ESPN, he played ten years in the NBA and averaged six points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe Bryant with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft before transferring to the LA Lakers after two weeks. Bryant debuted against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 3rd, 1996, and later became the youngest starter in NBA history on January 28th, 1997 (18 years, 158 days).

Between 1996 and 2016, Bryant carved out one of the most incredible NBA careers in history. He was a five-time NBA champion, 18-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP, and a regular season MVP. He was a two-time scoring champion and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Like Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal was selected straight out of high school in the 1996 NBA Draft. The Portland Trail Blazers selected him 17th overall. He made his debut on December 5th, 1996, against the Denver Nuggets.

O'Neal's career truly kicked off when he joined the Indiana Pacers after years in Portland. According to Basketball Reference, he was a six-straight NBA All-Star and finished third in the MVP voting in 2004. He averaged 13.2 points per game in 1,011 games.

The youngest player to feature in the NBA is Andrew Bynum, who was selected tenth in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 17. The 7ft1 center made his debut on November 2nd, 2005, just six days after becoming an adult, against the Denver Nuggets.

Bynum played seven seasons with the Lakers, winning two championships in 2009 and 2010 and being awarded an All-NBA and All-Star selection in 2012. He played 418 games and averaged 11.5 points per game, per ESPN.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!