Leonard Miller skipped college to go pro — now he's heading to NBA All-Star Weekend

Leonard Miller is taking another step in an unorthodox route toward his pro basketball career as he prepares to participate in NBA All-Star Weekend despite not yet playing in the league.

"I'm going to have fun, I'm going to cherish the moments, but I'm going to go and compete," said the Scarborough, Ont., native, who will be playing in the Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 17. "I'm going to showcase who Leonard Miller is."

The Rising Stars Challenge is an event that pits the NBA's best first- and second-year players against each other — Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is also set to participate.

Miller, 19, won't be the only Canadian on the court for the event. Canadian rookies Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard, both of the Indiana Pacers, will also compete.

But Miller's journey to all-star weekend in Utah is much different than his Canadian compatriots. He's part of a new program that gives players a chance to sidestep college on their way to becoming a professional basketball player. 

Miller had his choice of U.S. schools, including top programs like Kentucky and Gonzaga.

But Miller opted for a different path. In 2020, the NBA launched a program called the G League Ignite — creating a new team that would join and play in the NBA's already established G League development program.

While most teams in the G League are made up of fringe NBA talent or young players who can't earn minutes on their respective teams, the Ignite's roster would feature top prospects trying to make the NBA. 

Instead of going to college, players were offered $500,000 US per year to play for the Ignite, and take part in a program designed to prepare them for life as a pro basketball player.

Head coach Jason Hart, who played in the NBA from 2000 to 2010, leads the team and helps mentor its young players. 

"The goal was for them to get NBA ready by playing in the NBA setting … and to put them in a position where they can play through mistakes and grow their games while allowing them to go through the growing pains of the development," Hart said. 

He says if a player struggles in college they may get stuck on the bench as the team is trying to win games. With the Ignite, Hart says the focus is on improvement.

"It's a development program, but also putting them in a position [so] when they do get to the NBA they understand the rules, they understand the lifestyle," he said.

But Hart says the program is much more than just a place for players to improve.