In 2005, the NBA established what’s known as the “one-and-done” rule, which requires high school athletes to be at least 19 years old and a year removed from HS play before declaring for the NBA Draft. It’s impact was felt immediately, like in the case of Kyrie Irving, who opted to play a year of college ball at Duke, but was seriously injured and only appeared in a handful of games. He was selected #1 overall in the following year’s draft anyway, and has gone on to become one of the best guards in the NBA.
Today, ESPN’s Chad Ford is reporting that Thon Maker, the 7-foot, 225 lb phenom has been declared eligible for this summer’s NBA Draft, despite not playing a single minute of NCAA ball. How? Well Maker was able to prove that he graduated high school in 2015, but continued his play at the Athlete Institute in Ontario, Canada, which was the equivalent of a fifth year of high school. For some reason, the league still found him eligible.
Maker’s NBA potential isn’t considered to be sky high just yet, but as SB Nation points out, he’s got the kind of skill for a big man that can translate well to the pro level with the right grooming. Below, you can see the highlight reel that helped him rise to national prominence.
