2006-11-07 07:58:48 · 11 answers · asked by get-ridda-that 2 in Sports ➔ Basketball
Tim Duncan was a swimmer, Akeem Olajuwon was a soccor player, most players in the league who started late are big men.
2006-11-07 08:18:24 · answer #1 · answered by Hi 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are actually many players that did not start playing basketball until college.
16 or 17 is a great time to start, but you have a LOT of hard work on the fundamentals ahead to catch up to those that have already been playing for 10 years.
And don't forget Michael Jordan got CUT from the team in high school.
2006-11-07 08:14:57 · answer #2 · answered by baseballfan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jordan did make his high school team, he just didn't play all 4 years in high school.
The coach who cut him when he was a freshman in H.S. wasn't an idiot...Michael wasn't any good back then.
Do you think Dean Smith would have started Jordan as a freshman at North Carolina if he didn't play in high school? Of course Jordan played in high school.
Olajuwon had only been playing basketball for two years prior to going to the University of Houston.
Dikembe Mutumbo, like Olajuwon, played soccer growing up.
2006-11-07 14:52:21 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1) Dikembe Mutumbo!!!!!! Hes from Nigeria and he played soccer, then he picked up basketball at age 17, and turned out to be awesome.
2) MJ didnt make his highschool team (what an idiot the coach was) and then had a 9 inch summer.
so yes, there have been many success stories from ppl who started up real late
2006-11-07 08:19:12 · answer #4 · answered by Sean 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tim Duncan actually didn't play basketball until high school.
2006-11-07 08:24:01 · answer #5 · answered by flamingblue21 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Rik Smits / Manute Bol /Dekembe Mutumbo/ to name a few there are many other foreign born players..
They were just so tall that colleges and pros were willing to make the effort to train them....
2006-11-07 08:07:22 · answer #6 · answered by SALMON 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tim Duncan, Fatih Solak (Turkey)
2006-11-07 10:25:46 · answer #7 · answered by solanacea 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES AMARE S. ON THE SUNS DIDN'T START PLAYING UNTIL HE WAS LIKE 15, AND CARON BUTLER DIDN'T EVEN LIKE BASKETBALL TILL HE WENT TO THE BOYS HOME AT 15
2006-11-09 15:26:46 · answer #8 · answered by sugar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no but i know a guy that is 22 and started when he was 15 his name is carmelo antony from denver nuggets
2006-11-07 11:14:38 · answer #9 · answered by ciara345 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Certainly, though most of them are big guys or athletic specimins.
2006-11-07 08:57:13 · answer #10 · answered by Philthy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋