In the middle of pondering my own failed athletic exploits and trying not to cry over Dupree's return to his old high school stomping grounds, I thought about a modern day NBA equivalent. The only real comparison would be LeBron James, had James flamed out and been out of the league a few years ago.
For the fun of it, I decided to look back at Rivals.com's top prospects between the years of 2002-07 and see how they panned out. Rivals was established in 2001, but didn't start ranking high school basketball recruits across positions until 2003.
Here's the list of the top high school basketball recruit according to Rivals.com:
2007 - Michael Beasley
2006 - Greg Oden
2005 - Gerald Green
2004 - Dwight Howard
2003 - LeBron James
This list produces a strange symmetrical effect. The first two players - James and Howard - have blossomed into stars and are well on their way to becoming Hall of Famers. The last two players - Beasley and Oden - have yet to take off. Oden has battled injuries during every year of his short career. Beasley finally has the opportunity to play more consistent minutes in Minnesota.
Sandwiched in the middle is Gerald Green. You may ask, who is Gerald Green? If you're not an avid follower of the NBA Slam Dunk Competition, you've probably never heard of him.
Green Winning the 2007 Dunk Contest
Green's Memorable "Birthday Cake" Dunk in the 2008 Contest
Green was the top high school prospect in the 2005 class and originally committed to Oklahoma State. He later decommited and decided to enter the NBA Draft. 2005 would mark the last year players were allowed to enter the draft straight out of high school. While Kwame Brown remains the poster child for players that should have honed their game in college, Green isn't far behind.
Fully expecting to be one of the top players taken in the 2005 Draft, Green fell all the way to the Boston Celtics' 18th overall pick. An incredibly raw talent, Green struggled to find playing time with the Celtics. While his 48 inch vertical leap left many in awe, it was his shoddy ball handling, broken jumper, and questionable practice habits that garnered the most attention.
Green's 2007 Dunk Contest victory proved to be both a gift and a curse. While his performance gained him a brief stint in the national spotlight, he became known solely as a high-flyer who couldn't do much else. That summer he was part of the mega deal that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston.
Green went on to play half of the next season with the Timberwolves before he was traded to the Houston Rockets, and then released shortly thereafter. Green played one more year for the Dallas Mavericks in 2008, his last in the NBA.
He played for a total of four NBA teams in his short four year career. Green's career numbers are less than stellar: 7.2 points and 2 rebounds per game on 42 percent shooting.
Green played in Russia in 2009 and has since been trying to find a place on an NBA roster. He was a member of the Lakers' NBA Summer League Roster but did not make the team.
If there's a silver lining in Green's story it's that he's only 24 years old and still healthy. He's at the age when most players are approaching their prime so there's still some hope. For now, we're left to think about the type of player Green could have became had he taken a few years to improve his game in college. He was supposed to be the next Tracy McGrady.
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