In 2006, the NBA implemented the “one-and-done” rule, under which aspiring players must be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school before entering the league. Since then, many top prospects have spent the season in college, overseas, the G-League, or elsewhere to become eligible for the draft.<\/p>\n
Former NBA star\u00a0Stephon Marbury<\/a>, however, made the choice a decade earlier, before that rule was laid down \u2013 and he did so voluntarily when he played for Georgia Tech. And needless to say, some people were skeptical of his decision.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “I said, ‘If I’m a top five pick, I’m coming out of school,'”\u00a0Marbury\u00a0recalled<\/a>\u00a0on NBAT2.\u00a0“Some college players were like, ‘Who does he think he is telling people he’s going to be one and done?'”\u00a0<\/p>\n What gave Marbury the idea\u00a0<\/p>\n As early as high school, Marbury showed glimpses of his star potential on the court.<\/p>\n He posted 27.4 points, 8.3 assists and 3.0 steals per game at Abraham Lincoln High School, enough to earn him individual honors and a spot in the McDonald’s All-American Team and Nike Hoop Summit in 1995. He was steadily building toward his NBA career.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “I was on the court all day,”\u00a0Marbury\u00a0said<\/a>in a different interview.\u00a0“I’d go out by myself and shoot, just make up drills, dribbling behind chairs, making up moves and acting like it was a person.<\/p>\n At the Nike Hoops Summit, which was the inaugural edition of the international all-star game,\u00a0 paved the way for him to meet his fellow stars, particularly\u00a0Kevin Garnett<\/a>. This happened in the backdrop of the power forward’s decision to declare for the NBA draft after his stint with\u00a0Farragut Career Academy in Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I’ll never forget because we were all practicing, and I was like, ‘Where the hell is KG at?'”\u00a0Marbury\u00a0recalled<\/a>.\u00a0“And I’m looking for him\u2026 I’m like, ‘We got practice.'”<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Garnett’s decision made an impression on Marbury. Although he did not follow in his footsteps, it reinforced the idea that Stephon could reach the NBA sooner rather than later if he proved that he was really ready for the big leagues.<\/p>\n Related: Julius Erving picks LeBron James over Kobe Bryant for a very interesting reason: “Kobe’s another imitation of Michael Jordan”<\/a><\/p>\n Marbury was more than ready\u00a0<\/p>\n In January 1995, Marbury committed to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Across 36 games, he averaged 18.9 points on 45.7 shooting from the field, 3.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists as the team’s main point guard, leading the Yellow Jackets to the Regional Semifinal. He received a Third Team All-American nod.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n By that point, Marbury had seen enough \u2014 it was time to bet on himself and make his NBA dreams come true.<\/p>\n Starbury declared for the legendary 1996 draft, and, sure enough, he met his condition when the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> selected him with the fourth overall pick. He was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>, where he teamed up with KG.<\/p>\n Looking back on that moment, Marbury could not help but feel grateful for the opportunity.<\/p>\n “I feel blessed,”\u00a0he\u00a0said<\/a>.\u00a0“Everything that was supposed to happen,\u00a0 it was supposed to happen for a reason. It was supposed to shape you and mold you into what it is that you’re supposed to become. And I feel like when I see that, I know how I felt. We waited 20 years for that moment.”<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n After his short stint in Minnesota, Starbury went on to play for four other teams, most notably the\u00a0New York Knicks<\/a>, throughout his 13-year career, during which he became a two-time All-Star and received two All-NBA Third Team nods. To this day, the Brooklyn<\/a> native takes pride in his NBA journey.<\/p>\n Related: “A savant inside the game” – Stephon Marbury on why he and Kevin Garnett had a special connection on the court<\/a><\/p>\n This story was originally published by Basketball Network<\/a> on Jun 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School<\/a> section. 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