I was looking at some stats on the NBA drafts and and just how many draftees leave the NBA in their first five years. Unfortunately nothing worthwhile came up, but it was intriguing looking at a few drafts from the past who didn't succeed in the NBA.
The struggle to become Draft-worthy begins for most players at the high school level, often extending into their first year of college. Few NBA players bother to finish their college education once they realize that they have gotten enough recognition to become certain draft picks.
You can't even blame them for choosing to forgo college, as potential is usually the name of the game and teams will usually go for younger players showing massive potential over older players who have more experience in the college circuit. Of course they have a point, as playing college basketball and playing in the NBA are two completely different levels of competition.
Being an NBA draft pick is more than the fulfilment of a dream, but is a guaranteed ticket out of poverty. First round picks for the NBA usually earn more than $1Million per annum and are usually signed on standard 3 year contracts. With only 60 draft slots available every year, it means that a lot of players are going to go undrafted.
For those in the college system, going undrafted can mean the end of a dream to play professional basketball. Of course there are more opportunities now than ever before for undrafted players, but it is still incredibly difficult and competitive to break into an NBA team after going undrafted. An undrafted player is competing with draftees who are under pressure to make their mark and secure future contracts, as well as players in leagues outside the NBA who have an eye on the most lucrative basketball league in the World.
Pressure mounts from the very first season in the NBA, as rookies are expected to make the most of the very limited opportunities they get. Mere playing time is a luxury to most players, and even more so if teams are under pressure to win matches, leaving coaches to stick with their most trusted squad rotations.
Pressure to succeed mounts on every angle, and not just on rookies and potential entrants of course. The veterans of game also constantly strive to stay relevant so as not to be usurped by rookies who are hungry for success. Becoming an NBA veteran is no mean feat, owing to the limited space available per roster which teams seek to fill with the best available legs on ground.
The main driving force of course is the money, fame and fortune associated with succeeding in the NBA. It is the biggest and most lucrative basketball league in the World by a mile and many players get life transforming earnings in a single year than they would otherwise get in a full career plying their trade in other leagues around the World.
Conclusion
The top is a lot emptier as we go up the ladder of NBA success. Becoming a franchise player is the ultimate goal of every extremely talented and ambitious player. However, the measurements of success begin much earlier with simply getting into an extremely competitive draft.