FORMER No. 3 overall NBA draft pick OJ Mayo used to be touted as the next LeBron James.

But the shooting guard never got to fulfill his potential, leaving the league after just eight years following a scandal-marred run.

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OJ Mayo was once called the next LeBron James, but he left the NBA after eight years having violated the league’s anti-drug programCredit: Getty

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Mayo was selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft after starring for the USC TrojansCredit: Getty
Mayo’s stock skyrocketed after a stunning senior year at Huntington High in West Virginia.

Had the draft rules not changed, the 6-foot-5 sharpshooter native would have likely jumped straight to the NBA coming out of high school in 2007.

The rising star eventually committed to the University of Southern California, joining the Trojans basketball team to comply with the one-and-done rule.

He went on to average 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists as a freshman while shooting 40.9 percent from deep, earning the guard All-Pac-10 honors.

Then, the first major scandal of his career came out.

Mayo allegedly accepted improper benefits, such as money and clothes, before and during his time at USC, violating the NCAA’s rules.

The Trojans would have all their wins from the 2007-08 season wiped out as the West Virginia native, who denied the allegations, was retroactively determined ineligible to play for the school.

Still, Mayo got selected third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves – before they shipped him to the Memphis Grizzlies in a package centered around No. 5 pick Kevin Love later that day.

In his debut season, the talented scorer made the All-Rookie first team and finished just behind Derrick Rose in the Rookie of the Year voting.

He averaged 15.2 points and shot 37.5 percent for 3 over four seasons with the Grizzlies, which would turn out to be the best years of his career.

However, Mayo’s time in Memphis wasn’t trouble-free as he once showed up to a gameday shootaround late and, on a different occasion, allegedly got in a fight with teammate Tony Allen during the 2010-11 NBA campaign.

Later that season, he also served a 10-day suspension after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – a steroid he claimed to have ingested unintentionally through an energy drink.

After stints with the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks, Mayo violated the NBA and NBPA’s anti-drug program again in 2016.

Little details about the violation came out, but it led to his dismissal from the league until around the start of the 2018-19 campaign when he could apply for reinstatement.

The guard never returned to the NBA and instead played basketball in Puerto Rico, Taiwan, China, and Russia over the next few years.

Most recently, Mayo spent a season with the Egyptian side Zamalek, reaching the Egypt Basketball Cup with the team in 2023.