2003 NBA Draft

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The 2003 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2003, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The NBA announced that 41 college and high school players and a record 31 international players had filed as early-entry candidates for the 2003 NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had a 22.50 percent probability of obtaining the first selection, won the NBA draft lottery on May 22. Cleveland chairman Gordon Gund said afterward his team intended to select LeBron James, and they did. The Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets were second and third, respectively. This draft was the first draft to be aired on ESPN after they picked up the license from TNT. The 2003 draftees represented one of the deepest talent pools in NBA history. The draft contained 15 players who combined for 26 championships. Four of the top five picks were NBA All-Stars and "Redeem Team" Olympic Gold Medalists: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and James, and three of those top five—James, Wade, and Bosh—were members of the Miami Heat Big Three, while the only remaining top five pick—Darko Miličić—never played at the level expected of him in the NBA and is widely considered a draft bust. Nine of the players drafted were named All-Stars at least once. As of 2026, James is the last remaining active player from this draft class, having held this distinction since Anthony's retirement in 2023.