What overall pick was LeBron James in the 2003 NBA draft?
Answer
First overall
LeBron James was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected him first on June 26, 2003, at Madison Square Garden’s Theater in New York City.
Cleveland had won the draft lottery after finishing the previous season with a poor record, and the team publicly indicated that it planned to choose the highly touted James. He entered the NBA directly from St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, rather than playing college basketball.
The 2003 draft is remembered as one of the strongest in NBA history. Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and James all became All-Stars, while the Detroit Pistons selected Darko Miličić second and the Denver Nuggets chose Anthony third. James went on to win Rookie of the Year with Cleveland and later became a four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP.
A common mix-up is confusing James’s draft position with other notable members of the class: Wade was fifth, Bosh was fourth and Anthony was third.