Most modern NBA players grew up in the internet age and spent hours watching easily accessible mixtapes of high school stars from the start of their basketball journey. The new generation of Jordan Brand stars Luka Doncic , Jayson Tatum , Zion Williamson , and Paolo Banchero revealed to Overtime what their favorite high school basketball mixtape was growing up.
Zion Williamson: “I would definitely say myself but you've got to factor in when the mixtape came out and the impact it had. I'd have to go with John Wall.”
Jayson Tatum: “I guess when I was a kid the mixtape that had the most impact was John Wall or Seventh Woods”
Paolo Banchero: “I used to wake up and watch mixtapes every morning before school like Aquille Carr, John Wall, Andrew Wiggins, Zion, those guys always. Internet sensations in high school.”
Luka Doncic: “I watched some but not much. D Rose."
Outside Doncic, it seemed the three American players got really excited about the question and tried sharing deep cuts of iconic mixtapes from players who might have never progressed into becoming NBA stars. The fact that Derrick Rose's high school mixtape made it all the way to a kid in Ljubljana, Slovenia shows the power of basketball.
The American stars all had extremely impressive mixtapes of their own, given all three of them were top high school recruits in their respective classes. Zion's high school mixtape is still considered one of the greatest due to the incredible verticality and explosive power he possessed his entire career.
Iconic high school mixtapes are a dime-a-dozen on the internet now, with every aspirant trying to get their name to blow up by making as professional a mixtape as possible. While the talent often rises to the top by the end of the senior year regardless of mixtapes, it definitely helps many players on their rise up the high school ranks which could land them a college scholarship offer or a pro contract with the G League.
Jordan Brand's Four Stars Of The Future
The Jordan Brand has made it clear over this summer that Doncic, Tatum, Zion, and Banchero are four key pillars for the brand going forward. The 26-year-old Tatum is the oldest of the bunch and has already won an NBA Championship, beating fellow Jordan Brand partner Doncic in the NBA Finals.
Doncic so far has been the best individual player, coming off a season with an absurd 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists average which allowed him to win the scoring title by a considerable margin while still leading an injury-ridden team to 50 wins and the Finals.
Paolo Banchero was Rookie of the Year from his 2022 Draft Class and made his first All-Star appearance as a sophomore last season. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, expected to continue leading the Orlando Magic to the NBA Playoffs for years to come.
Zion has had the hardest journey of the four and is still yet to play an NBA Playoff game. He constantly struggles with injuries and hasn't been able to be there for his teammates on the Pelicans. Hopefully, he can find good health this season and make a deep Playoff push on a retooled Pelicans roster with Dejounte Murray.
Related: Current Best Players Of Every Shoe Brand Featuring Nike, Jordan, Adidas, And Under Armour (2024 Edition)
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