Could the Professor play in the NBA Reddit

It's hard to say that he's not at the absolute pinnacle of skill for the sport. His handles are absolutely inhuman and are some of the highest achievements in hand eye co-ordination anyone's ever achieved in any sport. They're absolutely mesmerizing to watch.

He has without a doubt devoted his life to this sport since a really young age. But because he's not born with certain genetics he really wouldn't stand a chance at playing in the NBA. Is it not depressing that only .05% of the population have the genetics to even try this sport? Compare this to soccer where the variety in weights, heights, race and athleticism is massive. Basketball just seems designed to be inaccessible.

Maybe I'm being unfair and he could've not been useless on a team. There's been about 20 decent players in the league at his height before but they were all heavier and more athletic. He could have improved his athleticism a great deal as well And he could have definitely put on some muscle. So I guess it isn't all genetics that let him down. It's still sad enough that in my opinion the most exciting player to watch in this sport isn't actually all that good at it.

If you could go back in time and change the rules of basketball to make it as accessible as soccer would you do it and if so how?

AND1's "The Professor" failed to make it to the NBA but he is happy with what transpired after

Grayson "The Professor" Scott Boucher on why he never got to play in the NBA

The Professor

Salem Statesman-Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK

If you are born in the 90s and are fascinated by disrespectful crossover moves and sick passes, you have surely watched a ton of AND1 streetball mixtapes. And more likely, you are also very familiar with the name “The Professor.”

Born Grayson Boucher, “The Professor” established himself as one of the best streetballers in history by being a notable member of the famed AND1 streetball roster. While street basketball is in many ways different from professional basketball, many of us could be wondering why guys like “The Professor” did not follow in the footsteps of Rafer Alston a.k.a “Skip 2 My Lou” and pursued an NBA career.

The Professor reveals the shocking truth

According to the man himself, it’s a long story, but he likes to break down the reasons into “three things”- lack of credentials, politics, and passion for streetball.

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“First off, I never had the resume for the NBA,” Boucher said on his official Facebook page. “In order to play in the NBA without Division One NCAA college basketball in your resume or without Division One overseas basketball in your resume, it’s gonna be like impossible. I gave up my college eligibility as soon as I signed to play for money.”

“The second thing I’ll say is, the politics of the game were never on my side. 15, 20 years ago, when I was actually first getting on and trying to make the NBA, I played in some minor leagues (IBL and CBA). No matter how well I played, the politics were never on my side. The higher-ups in the NBA looked at streetball as like ‘not real basketball,’ like a bad thing.”

“The third thing that I would say, and this could come as a surprise to many, is that I wouldn’t accept an NBA contract right now. I like what I do because this thing isn’t even about money,” he continued. “It’s about inspiring and impacting the people and really just having a passion for what I do. And right now my passion is like to make dope a** videos for people.”

The tables have turned

Nowadays, “The Professor” said that streetballers have already found their niche in the sport. In fact, he alone has grown his fan base, and his work is now recognized worldwide. What’s even more interesting, some NBA players are now reaching out to him.

“It was way different back then,” he reflected. “I got NBA players asking me to train them now, I got friends who are coaches.”

It’s safe to say that we will never see “The Professor” play in the NBA. However, his story proves that not all hoopers dream of making it to the league. Because sometimes, passion beats prestige.

Grayson Boucher is a basketball streetball legend that has some of the best handles and tricks the game has ever seen. His ability to dribble the basketball is unreal and it’s almost like he has some sort of ball-handling superpower. Just check out some of his best highlights if you have never seen what he can do on a court before.

Boucher got the nickname ‘The Professor’ because he schools so many opponents on the court. Sometimes he leaves them clueless when he drives past everyone with ball towards the hoop making them wonder what happened. The Professor possesses legendary skills and has made a name for himself on the streetball circuits, but could he play in the NBA?

  • What it Takes to Play in the NBA
  • Why ‘The Professor’ isn’t in the NBA
  • Why ‘The Professor’ Could Play in the NBA
  • Final Thoughts

What it Takes to Play in the NBA

There are a lot of great basketball players out there but only a small percentage of these players ever make it to the NBA. In order to get into the highest level of basketball there is, you need to have a great deal of talent and skill to set yourself above and beyond the competition. Your shooting needs to be lights out, your ball handling needs to be phenomenal, and you need to be a great athlete that can sprint up and down the court all night long.

Some people are gifted genetically with the ability to shoot, dribble, run fast, and jump high. But another big part of making it to the NBA is having the size and strength to compete with the best in the world. Most basketball players at this level are tall, some are really tall, and almost all of them combine the gift of height with exceptional on-court skills that allow them to succeed and thrive in the league.

You don’t have to be tall to make it in the NBA. There is no rule that says so and many great players have been under 6 feet tall. But height is a huge advantage and if you have the basketball skills to go with it, you just might be NBA bound.

Why ‘The Professor’ isn’t in the NBA

For all of his legendary skills, Grayson Boucher has never played in the NBA. One reason this could be is his size. The Professor is only 5’ 9” and weighs 155 lbs. This is maybe an average size for a full-grown adult male, but by NBA standards, it is small. Only a few people of a similar size have ever made it to the NBA and even though Boucher has some above-average skills, he doesn’t have above average size.

Another reason the Professor isn’t in the NBA could be due to the type of basketball he plays. He is a streetball phenom but that doesn’t necessarily translate to being a great player by NBA standards. Boucher can shake-and-bake a defender no problem, but if he had to defend one of the NBA greats, he probably wouldn’t stand a chance.

Streetball also is sometimes loose on rules such as double-dribbling and traveling and some of the Professor’s moves are pretty cool, but would probably not work in the NBA because of the referees. He would have a hard time getting away with some trick moves, even though they are amazing and hard to do, at the NBA level.

I think if he really wanted to, when he was young, Boucher could have had a shot at playing in the NBA. I don’t think he would have become an NBA legend and maybe he knew that he was destined to be a streetball great and that was enough for him. He did have the skills to make an excellent point guard with his unreal ball handling, awesome passing, and long-distance shooting abilities.

His small size is a factor, sure, but if you look at a player like Nate Robinson, Spud Webb, or Muggsy Bogues, they were also smaller in size, similar to the Professor. If he gave it a shot and was focused on competing at an NBA level, instead of just streetball, I think he would have had some good years in the league.

Boucher also has a really unique set of basketball skills that would have made him difficult to guard in the NBA. He could out dribble just about anyone and I think even at an NBA level, he could pretty much do anything he wanted with a basketball. He would have at least made a really good back-up point guard but he might have been able to start for a few years.

Final Thoughts

Grayson Boucher never made it to the NBA and maybe he never wanted to. He has developed a great and long-lasting career through the streetball circuit and he might have known that he could develop more of a name for himself in those leagues than as a little-known NBA player. He might have made it in the NBA to some degree, but we will never know for sure.

He definitely has some amazing skills and unique moves that could work on almost any level but his lack of size could have been one of the reasons he never made it into the NBA. Either way, the Professor has become a basketball legend with fans around the world and has made his living playing basketball.

Do you think the Professor could have made it in the NBA? What team would he have played for, if so?

Could The Professor play in the NBA?

“First off, I never had the resume for the NBA,” Boucher said on his official Facebook page. “In order to play in the NBA without Division One NCAA college basketball in your resume or without Division One overseas basketball in your resume, it's gonna be like impossible.

Who was the best AND1 player?

PHILIP "HOT SAUCE" CHAMPION Champion played on the Mixtape Tour from its inception in 2002, and remains one of AND1's most recognized Mixtape players.

Is The Professor basketball rich?

Grayson Boucher has had a long and prosperous career as The Professor, one of America's most popular professional streetball players. The Professor net worth is more than $3 million. He made his millions by playing basketball on the streets of New York City and being an actor.