Parents What or Who is the Top 25 High School Players in the past few decades?

Choosing the most outstanding high school basketball players of all time is as difficult as it can be an argumentative stalemate.

It’s no secret that the game has changed, so looking at an icon from the 1960s might not equate to a player who dominated in the past five or so years.

(For the Michael Jordan fans out there, His Airness came close to making the final list.)

4. Wilt Chamberlain — (Philadelphia)

Before Chamberlain was terrorizing defenses in the NBA (and college), he was dominating the Philadelphia-area high school game as the key piece to a dynamic Overlook Panthers team that won two city titles while only losing three games during his tenure. 

3. LeBron James — (Akron, Ohio)

LeBron James’ high school dominance arrived at a time when sports television was at a pinnacle. So, while some of the other legends on this list were hearsay and newspaper clippings, much of the fantastic show that James put on was something the nation could quickly flick over to ESPN and watch.

2. Jason Kidd — (Alameda, Calif.)

In a state that’s historically loaded with high school talent—the sheer size and number of schools in California is uncanny—Jason Kidd stands out as one of the best basketball players of all time. He led the Pilots to consecutive state titles, finishing his career as the state’s all-time assists leader and in the top 10 in scoring. 

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — (New York)

And then, there was one Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, who would become a prominent figure in basketball history as the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He’s the best player on arguably the greatest team in high school basketball history. He lost six games his entire high school career, of which five occurred during his freshman year.