Many NBA stars slowly gained their value after entering the league. Before entering the NBA, they did not receive much attention. But there are some players who have not yet entered the NBA, but they are already sensational in the league. They have not played a single game, and they are already enjoying star-like treatment, and their attention is also quite high. If we want to talk about the stars who have attracted the attention of the whole league before they debut, they have to be these five people. Their success cannot be copied.

5: Before Oden entered the NBA, there was no media touting him as the next O'Neal. He was outstanding in college and even more surprising on the defensive end. Regardless of physical fitness or skills, Oden was far ahead of his peers in college. He defeated the twin tower combination of Noah and Horford with one hand, which made him famous. There is no suspense about Oden becoming the number one pick. If he is better than Durant, he can only be ranked second. However, Oden's performance in the NBA was very average and he died early due to injury. Compared with the various praises before he entered the NBA, the gap is indeed too big.

4: Zion is really strong and has attracted national attention in the NCAA. His physical fitness is nothing compared to the NCAA. Although his skills are still rough, he really has no opponent in the same position. His style of play is very similar to that of James, the first player in active service, so he entered the NBA with the aura of "Little James". When he first entered the NBA, he signed a big contract with Nike's "AJ", and had a signature sneaker during his rookie year. The attention and popularity were already at the level of a superstar.

3: The year Yao Ming entered the NBA, he also attracted huge attention. As the first foreign number one pick in the true sense, both American and domestic fans are full of expectations. Yao Ming had Chamberlain-like statistics in the CBA, and he has no problem overpowering Stoudemire to be the top pick. His home team has no shortage of historical-level centers in its history. It is also exciting to see what level Yao Ming can reach. In his rookie year, he squeezed out O'Neal and became the All-Star starter. Yao Ming's popularity was so explosive.

2: ESPN’s first live broadcast of a high school student game is to let the world appreciate James’ style. James is really excellent, both technically and physically, he is far ahead of his peers. He is known as the "Chosen One" and everything about him is perfect. In 2003, all eyes were focused on James. He signed a sky-high contract with Nike before even playing an NBA game. This was unimaginable in any era. There was no doubt that he would become the number one pick.

1: There is no suspense about the first place, it must be Duncan. In Duncan's era, information was still underdeveloped, and most people learned about the NBA through print media. At that time, the NBA knew that Duncan was going to run for the draft, and the entire league was collectively trying to lose games just to win Duncan. Duncan was already at full level in college, and with him the team has a future.

In the end, the Spurs had the last laugh. Duncan also won 5 championships for the team in 2019!