2003 NBA Draft

The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues. The draft was broadcast on ESPN at 7:30 pm (EDT). The NBA announced that 42 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, and Cleveland chairman Gordon Gund said afterward his team would select LeBron James. The Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets were second and third respectively.

The 2003 Draft is known for having one of the most talented draft pools in draft history. 4 of the top 5 picks are NBA All-Stars and "Redeem Team" Olympic Gold Medalists: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Many players have been in the starting line-ups of their respective teams; seven have already participated in an All-Star Game, Dwyane Wade was named NBA Finals MVP in 2006, Boris Diaw won the Most Improved Player Award in 2006, Jason Kapono won the three point shootout back to back years in 2007 & 2008, Leandro Barbosa won the Sixth Man Award in 2007, and in 2009 LeBron James won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The 2003 draft class has drawn comparisons to the legendary 1984 and 1996 NBA Draft classes, but is also known for the Detroit Pistons making the controversial selection of Darko Miličić with the second pick over other prospects.

Draft

Players in bold have been named to at least one All-NBA Team.

Notable undrafted players

Matt Carroll (SG), Notre Dame
Marquis Daniels (SG/SF), Auburn
Ronald Dupree (SF), LSU
Keith McLeod (PG), Bowling Green
Quinton Ross (SF), SMU
Marcus Hatten (SG), St. John's
James Singleton (SF/PF), Pearl River Community College

Translation

The phrase "2003 NBA Draft" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Polish.

Translation(s) in other languages: Catalan: Draft de l'NBA del 2003, German: NBA-Draft 2003, Spanish: Draft de la NBA de 2003, French: Draft NBA 2003, Croatian: NBA Draft 2003., Italian: Draft NBA 2003, Japanese: 2003年のNBAドラフト, Turkish: 2003 NBA Seçmeleri, Chinese: 2003年NBA选秀.