The 2003 NBA Draft became one of the most celebrated draft classes
in league history. Cleveland selected LeBron James first overall,
followed by Darko Miličić to Detroit, Carmelo Anthony to Denver,
Chris Bosh to Toronto and Dwyane Wade to Miami. Four of those first
five players became perennial NBA All-Stars and major figures of
their generation.
The class extended far beyond the famous top five. Chris Kaman,
David West, Josh Howard, Mo Williams and Kyle Korver also became
NBA All-Stars, while Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa, Kendrick Perkins,
Zaza Pachulia, Steve Blake, Matt Bonner, James Jones and several
others became important contributors during long NBA careers.
Teams listed below are the teams credited with making each original
draft selection. Several picks were traded on draft night. The 2003
draft contained 58 selections rather than the normal 60.
LeBron James: Cleveland selected James first overall
directly out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.
James won the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year Award and went on to become
a multiple-time NBA champion, Finals MVP and league MVP while
eventually becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
Historic top five: The first five selections were
LeBron James, Darko Miličić, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane
Wade. James, Anthony, Bosh and Wade combined for dozens of All-Star
appearances and became four of the defining players of their
generation.
Carmelo Anthony: Denver selected Anthony third
overall following his national championship freshman season at
Syracuse. Anthony became one of the highest-scoring players in NBA
history and a perennial All-Star during his career.
Chris Bosh: Toronto selected Bosh fourth overall out
of Georgia Tech. He developed into the centerpiece of the Raptors
before joining LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami, where he won
NBA championships in 2012 and 2013.
Dwyane Wade: Miami selected Wade fifth overall from
Marquette. Wade became the cornerstone of the Heat, leading Miami
to its first NBA championship in 2006 and winning Finals MVP. He
later added championships in 2012 and 2013.
Nine All-Stars: The class ultimately produced nine
NBA All-Stars: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane
Wade, Chris Kaman, David West, Josh Howard, Mo Williams and Kyle
Korver.
Late first-round value: New Orleans selected future
All-Star David West at No. 18. Memphis selected Kendrick Perkins at
No. 27 before trading his rights to Boston, San Antonio selected
Leandro Barbosa at No. 28 before his rights went to Phoenix, and
Dallas found future All-Star Josh Howard with the final pick of the
first round.
Second-round value: The second round produced an
unusually deep collection of longtime NBA contributors. Steve Blake,
Zaza Pachulia, Keith Bogans, Matt Bonner, Mo Williams, James Jones
and Kyle Korver were all selected between picks 38 and 51.
Kyle Korver: New Jersey selected Korver 51st overall
before trading his rights to Philadelphia. Korver developed into
one of the NBA's premier three-point shooters, played 17 NBA seasons
and became an All-Star with Atlanta.
Championship impact: Beyond the stars at the top,
the class included numerous players who later filled important roles
on championship teams. Kendrick Perkins, James Jones, Matt Bonner,
Zaza Pachulia, Boris Diaw and others eventually won NBA titles.
58 selections: The 2003 NBA Draft contained only
58 selections. Minnesota and Philadelphia each lacked a second-round
selection because of previously forfeited draft picks.
International class: International selections
included Darko Miličić, Mickaël Piétrus, Žarko Čabarkapa, Aleksandar
Pavlović, Boris Diaw, Zoran Planinić, Carlos Delfino, Leandro
Barbosa, Maciej Lampe, Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Zaza Pachulia, Sani
Bečirovič and several others.
