Who Is The Youngest NBA Player in 2021?

The 2021 NBA season is in full swing and we take a look at who the youngest NBA player is. At just 20 years old, Zion Williamson is the NBA’s youngest player.

Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson was born on July 6, 2000, in Salisbury, North Carolina, to Sharonda Sampson and Lateef Williamson. Zion was raised by his mother and stepfather, Lee Anderson. Williamson attended Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina and played for the school’s varsity basketball team. In his senior year, he averaged 28.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game. He was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American.

High school career

Williamson played basketball for Spartanburg Day School in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Spartanburg Day School Coach David Eaton said of Williamson, “He was always the best player on the court, but as good as he was as a ninth-grader, he worked to get better every day. He’s one of those unique players that gets better every time he steps on the court.” As a sophomore in high school, he averaged 28.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. In his junior year, he averaged 36.8 points and 16.1 rebounds per game. He led Spartanburg Day School to their third consecutive state championship game appearance; they lost to Gray Collegiate Academy in the title game. As a senior, he averaged 32.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game and led Spartanburg Day School to the state championship for the fourth consecutive year; they defeated Dorman High School 69–59 in the final. Williamson was named South Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year for 2018–19, becoming the first junior to receive the award since its inception in 1985.

College career

In his one and only season of college basketball, Zion Williamson set the world on fire. The 6’6”, 285-pound Williamson was far and away the best player in the country, averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 68.0 percent from the field and 64.0 percent from three-point range. He was named the National Player of the Year by every major media outlet and led Duke to a 32-6 record and an ACC regular season title.

LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball is the youngest player in the NBA. He was born on August 22, 2001, making him just 19 years old. LaMelo is currently playing for the Charlotte Hornets. He is the son of former NBA player LaVar Ball.

High school career

LaMelo Ball began his high school career at Chino Hills High School in California. As a freshman in 2016–17, he averaged 28.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, leading the Huskies to a 35–0 record and the CIF Southern Section Division I title.[17][18] He was named a MaxPreps Freshman All-American.[19]

In his sophomore season, Ball averaged 29.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 3 steals per game en route to consensus national player of the year honors.[20][21][22] On March 24, 2017, he recorded his second career triple-double with 33 points, 19 assists and 14 rebounds in a 92–52 win over Damien High School in the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals.[23][24] The following day, he scored 56 points—one shy of his career high—in a 92–84 victory over Sierra Canyon School in the CIFSS Division I championship game;[25][26] it was Chino Hills’ second consecutive title.

Professional career

Ball began his professional career with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia. On December 18, 2019, he was officially announced as a member of the Hawks. Ball made his debut for the Hawks on December 28, 2019, recording 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a 96-93 win over the Brisbane Bullets. From February 2020 onwards, Ball’s minutes were managed due to concerns over his workload and heavy media coverage during his time in Australia. On March 20, 2020, it was announced that Ball would be returning to the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On June 23, 2020, Ball was selected with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He became the first player born in 2001 or later to be drafted into the NBA. On November 27, 2020, Ball scored a career-high 35 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds in a 115-104 win over the Detroit Pistons.

RJ Hampton

RJ Hampton is the Youngest NBA Player in 2021. He was born on February 8, 2001, in Little Elm, Texas. Hampton played one year of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns before declaring for the NBA draft. He was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans.

High school career

R. J. Hampton (born February 10, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He previously played for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). Listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 185 pounds (84 kg), he plays the point guard and shooting guard positions.

Hampton attended Little Elm High School in Little Elm, Texas. He played varsity basketball for three years. As a freshman in 2016–17, he averaged 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 stole per game. The next year, he averaged 21 points per game and was named District 9-5A Offensive Player of the Year. In his junior season, he averaged 28.5 points per game and earned Dallas Morning News Class 5APlayer of the Year honors. On January 18, 2019, he had a career-high 52 points in an 84–75 victory over Denton Guyer High School.

Professional career

RJ Hampton chose to forgo college and play professionally in New Zealand for the 2020–21 season. He signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) on July 3, 2020.

On December 19, 2020, Hampton scored a season-high 27 points in a win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix. On February 21, 2021, Hampton was ruled out for the remainder of the NBL regular season and playoffs after suffering a hip injury.

Cole Anthony

Cole Anthony is the youngest NBA player in 2021. He is a guard for the Orlando Magic. Cole Anthony was born on May 15, 2000, in New York City, New York. He is the son of former NBA player Greg Anthony. Cole Anthony played high school basketball for Oak Hill Academy. He was ranked as the number one high school basketball player in the nation by ESPN.

College career

Cole Anthony was a standout player at the University of North Carolina, averaging 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game as a freshman in 2019-20. He was named ACC Rookie of the Year and earned second-team All-ACC honors.

Anthony entered the 2020 NBA draft but was not selected in the first round. He signed with the Orlando Magic as an undrafted free agent.

Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese Haliburton was born on August 29, 2000, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. His parents are Tyree and Nicole Haliburton. Tyrese has two older sisters, Tiana and Taylor. He played basketball and football in high school. As a senior, he was named the Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year. He was also a McDonald’s All-American.

College career

In his freshman year at Iowa State, Haliburton was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and led the conference in assists per game. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game, shooting 41.9 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 84 percent from the free throw line.