Nerlens Noel was born on April 10, 1994, in Malden, and holds United States citizenship. He drew considerable attention on the basketball court during his secondary school years, and by the time he completed his high school eligibility he had established himself as one of the top basketball players in the class of 2012.

His schooling took him through Everett High School and subsequently to Tilton School before he enrolled at the University of Kentucky. His collegiate career came to an early end during his first season when he suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that cut short his time as a college player before he had completed a full year of competition.

Despite the abbreviated collegiate season, Noel entered the 2013 NBA draft and was selected with the sixth overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans. His draft rights were subsequently traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. As a professional, he plays at both center and power forward, positions requiring size and physical presence in the interior of the court.

The selection of Noel sixth overall in the 2013 NBA draft, following a high school career that placed him among the top players in his class and a collegiate stint at the University of Kentucky that ended with an ACL tear, marks a notable series of events in the early portion of his basketball career. The trade of his rights from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Philadelphia 76ers concluded the draft process and directed the next chapter of his career as a professional basketball player.