2003 NBA draft

Overview

Four of the top five picks of the 2003 draft became NBA All-Stars and "Redeem Team" Olympic Gold Medalists: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James. Nine players have participated in an All-Star Game. Dwyane Wade was named NBA Finals MVP in 2006 and won NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2006, 2012 and 2013, as well as the NBA All Star Game MVP in 2010. Boris Diaw won the Most Improved Player Award in 2006, Jason Kapono won the three point contest in back-to-back years in 2007 and 2008, James Jones won the three point contest in 2011, Leandro Barbosa won the Sixth Man Award in 2007, Kyle Korver set the NBA record for three point shooting percentage in 2010 (53.6%), and in the 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013 seasons, LeBron James won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, and the NBA Finals MVP in 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2020. Carmelo Anthony won the 2013 NBA scoring title and was the only player in NBA history to win at least three Olympic gold medals until Kevin Durant won his third one in 2020. Zaza Pachulia and David West won NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Matt Bonner won NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 and 2014. Dahntay Jones and Mo Williams won the NBA championship in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Luke Walton won three NBA championships, two as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010 and one as an assistant coach with the Warriors in 2015. Chris Bosh left the Toronto Raptors in 2010 as its all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, double doubles, free throws made and attempted, and minutes played; he went on to win championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.

The 2003 draft class has drawn comparisons to the 1984 and 1996 NBA draft classes but is also known for the Detroit Pistons' selection of Darko Miličić with the second overall pick over other prospects who went on to have much more success in the league. As of 2026, LeBron James is the only remaining active player from the 2003 draft class.

Eleven of the players selected in this draft never played in an NBA game throughout their professional basketball careers. Two of those players were the sole selection of the draft by their respective teams: Malick Badiane (Houston's only pick) and Paccelis Morlende (Philadelphia's only pick).

Draft selections

Notable undrafted players

These players were not selected in the 2003 NBA draft, but have played at least one game in the NBA.

Draft lottery

Early entrants

College underclassmen

In terms of underclassmen declaring for this year's draft, the number of players available for entry this year would increase up to 73 after previously being down a bit the previous year. However, it would also see the most withdrawn entries from underclassmen either in college, overseas, or even high school in the case of Charlie Villanueva with 27 total people doing exactly that. As such, there would actually be 46 underclassmen that qualified as such for this year's draft, which would be an overall step down when compared to last year's official number of underclassmen entering the NBA draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.

• USA Chris Alexander – C, Iowa State (junior)
• USA Carmelo Anthony – F, Syracuse (freshman)
• USA Mario Austin – F, Mississippi State (junior)
• USA Ronald Blackshear – G, Marshall (junior)
• USA Chris Bosh – F, Georgia Tech (freshman)
• USA Lamar Castile – G, CC of Beaver County (sophomore)
• USA Rod Edwards – G, Ouachita Baptist (junior)
• CAN Carl English – G, Hawaii (junior)
• USA T. J. Ford – G, Texas (sophomore)
• USA Zack Fray – F, Santa Ana (sophomore)
• USA Jonathan Hargett – G, West Virginia (freshman)
• USA David Hamilton – F, Salem International (junior)
• USA Jarvis Hayes – F/G, Georgia (junior)
• USA Maurice Jackson – F, Texas–Permian (junior)
• USA Richard Jeter – G, Atlanta Metro (sophomore)
• GER Chris Kaman – C, Central Michigan (junior)
• USA Josh Powell – F, NC State (sophomore)
• USA Rick Rickert – F, Minnesota (sophomore)
• USA Luke Ridnour – G, Oregon (junior)
• USA Rob Smith – F, North Carolina Wesleyan (junior)
• USA Michael Sweetney – F, Georgetown (junior)
• USA Dwyane Wade – G, Marquette (junior)
• USA Mo Williams – G, Alabama (sophomore)
• USA Doug Wrenn – F/G, Washington (junior)

High school players

This would be the ninth straight year in a row where at least one high school player would declare their entry into the NBA draft directly out of high school after previously only allowing it one time back in 1975. However, it would be one of the most famous ones due to the entry of high school phenom LeBron James entering the NBA draft this year, being the second high schooler to be drafted at #1 behind only Kwame Brown back in 2001, as well as being the second high schooler to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award behind Amar'e Stoudemire only a year prior. This draft also saw a high schooler named Charlie Villanueva initially enter for the NBA draft, but withdraw his name and go to college before the draft began. The following high school players successfully applied for early draft entrance.

• NGR Ndudi Ebi – F, Westbury Christian School (Houston, Texas)
• USA LeBron James – G, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio)
• USA James Lang – F, Central Park Christian High School (Birmingham, Alabama)
• USA Travis Outlaw – F, Starkville High School (Starkville, Mississippi)
• USA Kendrick Perkins – F, Clifton J. Ozen High School (Beaumont, Texas)

International players

The following international players successfully applied for early draft entrance.

• SEN Malick Badiane – F, Langen (Germany)
• BRA Leandro Barbosa – G, Bauru Tilibra (Brazil)
• ARG Carlos Delfino – G, Skipper Bologna (Italy)
• FRA Boris Diaw – F, Pau-Orthez (France)
• POL Maciej Lampe – F, Universidad Complutense (Spain)
• SCG Darko Miličić – F, Hemofarm Vršac (Serbia and Montenegro)
• GEO Zaza Pachulia – F/C, Ülker (Turkey)
• SCG Aleksandar Pavlović – G/F, Budućnost (Serbia and Montenegro)
• FRA Mickaël Piétrus – G, Pau-Orthez (France)
• CRO Zoran Planinić – G, Cibona (Croatia)
• GRE Sofoklis Schortsanitis – F, Iraklis (Greece)
• BIH Nedžad Sinanović – C, Brotnjo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• ISL Jón Arnór Stefánsson – G, Trier (Germany)
• POL Szymon Szewczyk – F, Braunschweig (Germany)
• NLD Remon van de Hare – C/F, FC Barcelona (Spain)
• SCG Slavko Vraneš – C, Budućnost (Serbia and Montenegro)
• CHN Xue Yuyang – F, Hong Kong Flying Dragons (China)

References

References

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4. (August 21, 2016). "Carmelo Anthony wins third gold medal, says he's finished with Team USA".
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11. Baird, Woody. (June 27, 2003). "West wastes no time for draft-night trades".
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22. (October 29, 2001). "Bulls trade Voskuhl to Suns for draft pick".
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31. (August 4, 2007). "2003 Underclassmen".