One of the most significant drafts in NBA history, the 2003 NBA draft featured some of the most incredible talent ever to enter the league. In fac, there’s still one player from 2003 yet to exit the league.
The 2003 NBA Draft is widely considered one of the most significant drafts in NBA history. The talent and impact of the 2003 NBA Draft are immeasurable.
Let’s dig into the 2003 NBA Draft…
What’s Important about the 2003 NBA Draft?
2003 was a stacked year for talent. Even so, there is one specific talent who has gone on to become the defining feature of the 2003 NBA Draft.
LeBron’s draft Vintage
This was the year that LeBron James was drafted as the first pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron had been a top prospect for years. In 2003, electing to hit the NBA out of high school, the 19 year old James was widely expected to go first to his hometown Cavs, so no surprise there.
The only surprise is how unsurprising James’s career has been. It’s not uncommon for top prospects to fizzle out. Some players crumble under the pressure, or the money, or their skills never evolve or don’t translate to the pros.
Obviously, this was not LeBron. He was a standout from the beginning. Even his short run in Summer League that preseason was marked by dominant performances and the general sentiment from his opponents that the 19 year old James presented as a fully formed NBA presence.
But 2003 was notable for a number of other important picks. If not for LeBron, some of these details would have easily put 2003 on the map themselves.
The Miami Championship Trio in the top 5
The 2003 NBA Draft also introduced the 3 all-stars who would later form the iconic Miami Heat team that would make 4 finals appearances and take home 2 titles between 2011 and 2014.
LeBron of course went at #1. In 2010, James would make the jump over to the Heat in one of the most controversial trades in history. At Miami, he would join both the #3 and #5 picks in the 2003 NBA draft, Dwyane Wade (that spelling drives me insane like no other) and Chris Bosh. Bosh was also headed into free agency off the Raptors.
The trio had already delivered Olympic gold in Beijing together in 2008. A local hero in a long disappointing Cleveland market, James made a massive spectacle of his trade to Miami. Fans were pissed, but he would return later and make it up to them, breaking Cleveland’s 50 year major sports title drought.
Add to that the often forgotten fact that the Heat legend Udonis Haslem also featured in the 3003 draft. While Udonis went undrafted, he would go on to grind his way up to the league and hammer out one of the longest careers in NBA history.
The original Melo
Carmelo Anthony was drafted by the Denver Nuggets at #3. Carmelo was an absolute beast in his era. A 10 time all-star, he never caught a ring. That and some missteps are why he ends up falling through the cracks a little in terms of overall respect.
In 2010, Anthony forced his way out of a pretty good situation in Denver. If you were a Nuggets fan during the Carmelo era, you probably bare some resentment. He was embraced by the fan base and heralded as the key to Denver’s first title. Things looked great for awhile there.
But Carmelo saw fit to take his talents elsewhere and he did it in a way that put the Nuggets in a situation that would take years to recover from.
Melo was a weird fit on a Mike D’Antoni offense. His first full season with the Knicks was memorable, not for his performance, but for the onset Linsanity. Injuries plagued the team and the under-acknowledged Asian American talent Jeremy Lin took those extra minutes and went wild.
Still, the Knicks record was terrible and D’Antoni ended up resigning. Carmelo would stick with the Knicks for 6 full and arguably uneventful seasons, putting up some impressive numbers, and no title wins for an incredible career that just feels wasted.
And now LaMelo Ball has swooped in and taken his nickname. And it shouldn’t take much more than a title to really cement Ball as the true Melo.
International Talent
The 2003 NBA draft was also notable for it’s international talent. Serbian Darko Miličić was drafted in the #2 spot to the Pistons. Darko remains the highest Serbian draft pick in history.
Zaza Pachulia of Georgia went to the Magic at #42. Zaza would have an arguably more impressive career than Darko with his 16 seasons and 2 titles.
And a number of other international players entered the league that year, to various degrees of success.
Luke Walton
The Son of the legendary Bill Walton entered the league in 2003 as well. Walton was drafted at #32 to the Lakers. He may not have had the cultural impact his father had on the league, but he would win 3 NBA titles during his career. Bill only won 2.
Takeaways
Overall, the 2003 NBA Draft stands out as a draft class that produced several Hall of Fame-caliber players who not only achieved individual success but also had a transformative impact on the NBA’s landscape and its popularity.
It may not be the most iconic or talent stacked draft in history, but it’s up there in terms of talent and impact on the league. Certainly most of the focus goes to 2003 being LeBron’s draft year. But we’ve seen here that there’s more to the story.
I’m convinced, in fact, that there’s more still to the story. But I’m done digging for now.