This is a question for everyone who posts on this or any other board. If your child had an opportunity to play in the NBA, would you tell them to stay in college for 4 years? I ask that question because so many are saying “Keegan isn’t ready” or “he needs to stay and make memories with Kris”. There is a .03% chance of a male basketball player playing in the NBA.
There are roughly 500,000 high school boys basketball players in America at any one given time. Of those, roughly 16,000 will go on to play at a college level. That includes Division 1, 2, or 3. Of that number, only 110 will ever play in at least one NBA game.
Even if you have a lot of talent or amazing work ethic, that’s not enough to make it to the league. You also need to get lucky in terms of genetics. All of the talent in the world won’t matter if you don’t have the quickness, height, or speed you need to keep up with the pros.
The largest factor is undoubtedly height, but weight is important too. The
average NBA player stands 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds (Keegan and Kris both fit this criteria). Those are large men playing what is realistically a large man’s game. However, you don’t need to be that big.
The NBA dream is a real one only for a select few lucky and incredibly gifted individuals. Even some players who have all the right breaks and talent don’t have it pan out for one reason or another. It’s a tough battle that takes a lot of talent, skill, and luck. So as a parent, if my kid(s) have an opportunity to be one of the .03%, it is my job to support that opportunity!
(Stats provided by the “Dunk or Three” blog from October 19, 2021)