Andrew Bynum is the youngest NBA player ever, having made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers at 18 years and 6 days old.
The NBA has always been a league where young talent shines, but some players took it to another level by making their debut before they even turned 18 and a half.
Over the years, rule changes have influenced how young a player can be when entering the league; however, a select few will always hold the record for being the youngest NBA players ever.
Interestingly, not all of the youngest players ended up having long or legendary careers. Some made history for their age, while others also became important pieces of championship teams.
Youngest NBA players of all time
With the age limit now set at 19, no player since 2006 has been able to join the Top 10 youngest players in NBA history.
Prior to that rule change, high school players could go straight to the league, which is how the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game, Andrew Bynum, was able to make his debut just six days after his 18th birthday.
Here are the 10 youngest NBA players of all time:
No. Player NBA debut age Debut year Total games played
1. Andrew Bynum 18 years, 6 days 2005 418
2. Jermaine O'Neal 18 years, 53 days 1996 1011
3. Kobe Bryant 18 years, 72 days 1996 1346
4. Darko Milicic 18 years, 133 days 2003 468
5. Stan Brown 18 years, 139 days 1947 34
6. Bill Willoughby 18 years, 156 days 1975 488
7. Tracy McGrady 18 years, 160 days 1997 938
8. Yaroslav Korolev 18 years, 181 days 2005 34
9. Andris Biedrins 18 years, 217 days 2004 516
10. CJ Miles 18 years, 241 days 2005 849
Who was the youngest NBA player ever?
Andrew Bynum is the youngest NBA player ever, having made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005 at just 18 years and 6 days old.
Selected 10th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft, Bynum entered the league straight out of high school. He spent most of his career with the Lakers, winning championships in 2009 and 2010 and earning an All-Star selection in 2012.
Andrew Bynum with the Lakers
Andrew Bynum with the Lakers
Credit Reuters – Scanpix
His career was relatively short, however, as injuries derailed his time in the league.
Bynum played 418 career games, averaging 11.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game before his final NBA season in 2013-14.
Who is the youngest NBA champion?
Serbian center Darko Milicic is the youngest NBA player ever to win a championship ring, at 18 years and 360 days old.
He was part of the 2004 Detroit Pistons team that shocked the basketball world by defeating the heavily favored Lakers in the NBA Finals.
While he didn't play a significant role in the Finals, he still holds the record for being the youngest player to ever appear in an NBA Finals game, having stepped onto the court at 18 years and 356 days old.
Darko Milicic and Ben Wallace
Darko Milicic and Ben Wallace
Credit Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Milicic, the No. 2 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, never lived up to the expectations of a top selection. His NBA career lasted 10 seasons, but he is mostly remembered for his unique place in history as the youngest NBA champion.
To this day, no other 18-year-old has won the Larry O'Brien Trophy. However, four players have done so at 19: Jordan Walsh (Celtics, 2024), Moses Moody (Warriors, 2022), Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors, 2022), and Talen Horton-Tucker (Lakers, 2020).
Who is the youngest NBA player to ever get drafted?
Andrew Bynum also holds the title of the youngest player ever drafted in the NBA.
The Lakers took Bynum 10th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft when he was just 17 years and 245 days old.
He was part of the last wave of high school players to enter the league before the NBA raised the minimum draft age to 19, starting in 2006.
Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol
Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol
Credit Scanpix Sweden
Because of this rule change, no player has come close to breaking Bynum's record in two decades.
Two other players were also drafted before turning 18: Jermaine O'Neal (17 years, 256 days) by the Trail Blazers with the 17th pick in the 1996 draft, and Kobe Bryant (17 years, 307 days) by the Hornets with the 13th pick in the same draft.
Pijus Sapetka
Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.