Following through in what promised to be an NBA Draft to change history, the Washington Wizards became the first team to draft a high school player with the first overall pick when they selected the Glynn Academy's Kwame Brown, 19, from the beachfront town of Brunswick Ga., on Wednesday night.

And not even a blockbuster trade on the eve of the draft that had Vancouver (Memphis) trading Olympian/All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahim to Atlanta for the third pick overall, along with Lorenzen Wright and Brevin Knight, could dull the changing of the guard that screams, "The Kids Rule!"

Kwame Brown becomes the first high schooler to go No. 1 overall.(AP)

Brown, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward with multiple skills, saw his stock skyrocket after personal workouts proved that he not only had exceptional talent and potential, but great work habits and a sincere approach to his chosen profession.

Not to be outdone, the Los Angeles Clippers followed suit by taking local product Tyson Chandler, a 7-foot, 220-pound forward from Compton Dominquez High School, and became the first team ever to select high school lottery picks in successive years. Not long after, they traded the rights to Chandler and Brian Skinner to the Chicago Bulls for Elton Brand. Last year, they took Darius Miles of East St. Louis, Ill., with the third pick overall, which was then the highest selection ever for a player opting out of playing college basketball.

The Grizzlies then used their additional pick to snatch 7-foot Spaniard Pau Gasol at No. 3, making him the highest pick ever for a player who has never played in the United States. Then the Bulls made the top four picks a fait accompli by taking a third high school player, 7-foot, 300-pound Eddy Curry, who will fit well with Chandler as the only high school tandem ever placed together on draft day.

The first college player chosen was Michigan State shooting guard Jason Richardson, taken by the Golden State Warriors.

It is a transition in the sport toward younger players that will not stop, although until this season, seniors (Tim Duncan, Michael Olowokandi and Kenyon Martin) had been the first overall pick in three of the past four seasons with the exception of Brand in 1999, the Duke sophomore.

Nevertheless, until this season, only seven high school products had gone in the first round since Kevin Garnett was the fifth pick overall in 1995. And only Miles, Kobe Bryant (13th), Tracy McGrady (9th) and Jonathon Bender (5th) were lottery picks.

This time around, the American youth was in control.

First round

1. WASHINGTON -- Kwame Brown, Glynn Academy H.S. (Ga.), PF -- A marvelously talented 6-foot-11, 240-pound athlete and the first high schooler ever taken as the first pick overall. He's 19, buff, talented and has great work habits.

2. L.A. CLIPPERS -- Tyson Chandler, Dominguez H.S. (Calif.), PF-C -- Chandler was taken by his hometown team, then stunningly traded to the Chicago Bulls for Elton Brand; the 7-foot Chandler will give the Bulls shot-blocking and great speed and agility on the wing.

3. ATLANTA -- Pau Gasol, F.C. Barcelona (Spain), SF -- Gasol goes to the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies in a trade that will send Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the Hawks; he can play three positions, and he excelled in Barcelona last season at 7-feet, 230 pounds with many skills to further develop.

4. CHICAGO -- Eddy Curry, Thornwood H.S. (Ill.), C -- The third high school product taken among the top four picks, Curry is staying home; he's huge, a "Baby Shaq" if you will, stunningly agile with very soft hands and quick feet.

5. GOLDEN STATE -- Jason Richardson, Michigan State, SG/SF -- This pick was a shock, with nearly everyone expecting Eddie Griffin to go fifth; with Richardson being a big guard/small forward, what does this mean for Larry Hughes and Antawn Jamison?

6. VANCOUVER -- Shane Battier, Duke, SF -- The first senior taken in the draft, Battier was the college player of the year; at 6-9, 230 pounds, he's the most mature and classiest player in the draft; he'll add a lot to a young team that needs what he brings mentally.

7. NEW JERSEY -- Eddie Griffin, Seton Hall, SF -- It made little sense for the Nets to take Eddie Griffin ... until it was announced they made the pick for the Houston Rockets; in exchange, New Jersey gets forward Richard Jefferson, center Jason Collins and guard Brandon Armstrong.

8. CLEVELAND -- DeSagana Diop, Oak Hill Academy (Va.), C -- Another shocking pick; the Senegal native has a foot problem to join veteran Ilgauskas, who was sidelined with a foot injury himself; he's raw but huge -- Cavs, who wanted a center, can only hope he's another Mutombo.

9. DETROIT -- Rodney White, Charlotte, PF -- The Pistons must be thrilled; he has a power game with floor skills; Detroit needed a multi-talented small forward to play next to a rebounding wiz like Ben Wallace.

10. BOSTON -- Joe Johnson, Arkansas, G/SF -- A Jamal Mashburn clone, but questions concern how hard he plays; he can do everything with the ball and has size and strength, but how will he respond to the tough situation in Boston?

11. BOSTON -- Kedrick Brown, Okaloosa-Walton C.C. (Fla.), SF -- He's a junior-college player who's very athletic; he didn't work out for anyone else, because a deal was made before the draft; with Brown and Johnson, Celts have two more floor players.

12. SEATTLE -- Vladimir Radmanovic, FMP Zeleznik (Yugoslavia), SF -- Sonics figure he's a big player who can score; the 20-year-old is the type of player who can give them all sorts of versatility inside and outside from the forward position.

13. HOUSTON -- Richard Jefferson, Arizona, PF -- As part of the four-player deal to New Jersey, he gives the Nets a natural small forward, which means he'll probably come off the bench; capable of playing with Van Horn or Martin.

14. GOLDEN STATE -- Troy Murphy, Golden State, PF -- Murphy lost weight and had great workouts; he's a scorer inside and outside, with a deft left-handed touch; has shown toughness, which he'll need with the Warriors, who have lost so many frontline players to injury; he'll fit well with Antawn Jamison.

15. ORLANDO -- Steve Hunter, DePaul, C -- He had a rocky two years at DePaul, but he's a 7-foot shot blocker; was extremely impressive in draft camps, where his personality overwhelmed everyone who was around him; a meteoric rise from nowhere.

16. CHARLOTTE -- Kirk Haston, Indiana, PF -- This was a surprise, with Haston going several spots higher than anticipated; he can score from a lot of different spots on the floor and can give Charlotte instant offense off the bench.

17. TORONTO -- Michael Bradley, Villanova, PF -- Bradley is an accomplished forward who needs to get stronger to play inside because he doesn't have the speed; but he can score inside and outside, and the Raptors need scoring up front.

18. HOUSTON -- Jason Collins, Stanford, C -- Collins goes to the Nets as a natural, hard-working center, something N.J. has lacked; he's bright and has exceedingly long arms; the only liability has been knee problems -- and considering the problems the Nets have had with injuries, it's another gamble.

19. PORTLAND -- Zach Randolph, Michigan State, PF -- He has a huge body and can play out on the floor; he's very young and needs to expand his game; quick feet and soft hands make him a natural to play small forward, but his wide body makes him a very capable post player, too.

20. CLEVELAND -- Brendan Haywood, North Carolina, C -- Traded to the Magic, Haywood slipped because of questionable work ethic; has great size, and the skills are there; Cavs already had a couple of young centers, so deal was no surprise.

21. BOSTON -- Joseph Forte, North Carolina, SG -- Like the other two players Boston picked, Forte can put the ball on the floor and hit jumpers from 17-18 feet; strong and accurate, he's a little short but a natural shooting guard.

22. ORLANDO -- Jeryl Sasser, Southern Methodist, PG -- Surprise pick here, but Sasser can handle the ball much better than some people think; at 6-6, he's cut in the mold of the big Magic ball handlers; gives them incredible depth in the skill positions.

23. HOUSTON -- Brandon Armstrong, Pepperdine, SG/PG -- A late bloomer; going to the Nets, he'll be able to play with, or spell, Stephon Marbury; has great shooting skills (39 percent career 3-point shooter) and can handle the ball very well.

24. UTAH -- Raul Lopez, Real Madrid (Spain), PG -- There's little doubt what the Jazz had in mind with this sub-6-footer -- to develop as the heir apparent to John Stockton; he's very quick but doesn't figure to make an impact on the Jazz any time soon.

25. SACRAMENTO -- Gerald Wallace, Alabama, SF -- After just one year at 'Bama, Wallace is coming out without refining his game offensively; but he's an exceptional athlete with outstanding quickness and jumping ability on a strong 6-7, 215-pound frame.

26. PHILADELPHIA -- Samuel Dalembert, Seton Hall, C -- Dalembert is the next power forward/center to give the Eastern Conference champs depth; he has quickness and length but lacks offensive skills; it will be interesting to see how he develops.

27. VANCOUVER -- Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State, PG -- Taken by the Hawks (as part of Abdur-Rahim deal) and traded to Indiana for a future draft choice, Tinsley dropped like a rock from the lottery as time went on; an All-American with strength to get inside, and a decent enough wing shooter; scouts soured on him in the postseason, and this is the result.

28. SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker, Paris Basket Racing (France), PG -- A lot of people thought he might go higher; he has great quickness and natural floor leadership; just turned 19, and since he grew up in France, it will be interesting to see how he adjusts; was the MVP of the European Championships.

29. MINNESOTA -- Timberwolves lost first-round pick as penalty for tampering with Joe Smith.