There are plenty of NBA players who have hit the court for many seasons and are honed in their craft, but there is also a definite youth movement as new players enter the league and hope to make their mark. So who are the youngest players among the professional basketball bunch? Read on to meet the baby-faced ballers filling each team’s roster.
Youngsters on the Way Up
Looking over the NBA players from the 2016-17 season, we’ve scouted out the 10 youngest players in the league. Ike Anigbogu of the Indiana Pacers tops the list as the freshest face in the NBA. He was drafted 47th overall in 2017 and, at 18, was indeed the youngest player in this year’s draft class. He’s followed by Frank Ntilikina, who was selected early on in the draft (No. 8 overall) by the New York Knicks.
Markelle Fultz was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2017 and is also the third youngest player in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers player had a strong pre-draft hype and was expected by most to be the top overall pick, spending his one college year in Washington after a few brilliant years balling in high school. Fultz was the only college player over the last 25 years to average 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game.
No. 4 on the list is Terrance Ferguson, a 19-year-old rookie suiting up for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ferguson is followed by New Orleans Pelicans point guard Frank Jackson, Sacramento Kings forward Harry Giles, and Jarrett Allen of the Brooklyn Nets.
The eighth and ninth youngest slots are filled by Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) and Malik Monk (Charlotte Hornets). Tony Bradley ranks as the “oldest” youngest player on our top 10 list and takes the court for the Utah Jazz.
Ballin’ With the Stars
The 2016-17 All-Star Game had some of the league’s youngest players suit up for their respective conference. For the Eastern Conference, the youngest player was a member of the so-called “Future of the NBA” – Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. The 22-year-old led the East by scoring a whopping 30 points (the most points scored by a Bucks player in an All-Star Game) and pounding in some scoreboard-adding dunks against the West.
Over in the Western Conference, Anthony Davis was the youngest player selected to grace the All-Star roster. The 24-year-old showed out for the West, scoring 52 points and smashing Wilt Chamberlain’s standing record of 42 points. Hailed as the “Hometown Hero,” Davis helped to secure the title for the West as well as his host team, the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Youngsters
In addition to the 10 youngest NBA players, we went through and looked at the youngest players from each team during the 2017-18 season. The “oldest” youngest player is 22-year-old Sindarius Thornwell of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Other notable youngsters include players like Lonzo Ball (Los Angeles Lakers, 19), Dennis Smith Jr. (Dallas Mavericks,19), Zach Collins (Portland Trail Blazers, 19), OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors, 20), and Justise Winslow (Miami Heat, 21).
Forever Young
No matter which NBA team you root for or whether you’ve followed college players since their NCAA days, we’ve got excellent news: Fanatics.com has loads of amazing authentic NBA gear, from jerseys to slippers and even outfits for your dogs (yes, really).
Top 10 youngest players in the NBA
- Ike Anigbogu (19) Indiana Pacers
- Frank Ntilikina (19) New York Knicks
- Markelle Fultz (19) Philadelphia 76ers
- Terrance Ferguson (19) Oklahoma City Thunder
- Frank Jackson (19) New Orleans Pelicans
- Harry Giles (19) Sacramento Kings
- Jarrett Allen (19) Brooklyn Nets
- Jayson Tatum (19) Boston Celtics
- Malik Monk (19) Charlotte Hornets
- Tony Bradley (19) Utah Jazz
Sources
- http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4066424/ike-anigbogu
- https://www.fanatics.com/nba-new-york-knicks/o-3547+t-03921897+z-98083-4034831039
- http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4066636/markelle-fultz
- http://lastwordonprobasketball.com/2017/11/01/future-nba-giannis-antetokoumpo/
- http://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2017/02/19/nba-all-star-game-west-prevails-giannis-stars-east/98042866/
- https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-all-star-game-2017-anthony-davis-steals-the-show-with-record-performance/
- http://phillysportsnetwork.com/2017/10/01/fu/
