The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted LeBron James with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. King James has dominated the NBA in his career, winning four MVP awards and three championships in his first 17 seasons, while he’s currently off to his best start ever as his Los Angeles Lakers are 19-3 after 22 games. But how did the players selected after he was chosen fare in their NBA careers?
2. Darko Milicic
Darko Milicic was chosen by the Detroit Pistons with a pick they acquired via the Vancouver Grizzlies in a trade for Otis Thorpe. Of the top five draft picks from 2003, he was the lone one to fail to become a mega-star in his NBA career. The 7-footer played for six teams and averaged six points and four per game rebounds in 468 games. Milicic now lives the farmer’s life in his native Serbia.
3. Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony spent the bulk of his career with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. In recent years, he has become a polarizing figure and was out of the league for over a year before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers late last month. He’s playing well and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 26-Dec. 2, his first Player of the Week award since 2014. Anthony is a 10-time All-Star.
4. Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh became one of the Big Three in Miami with LeBron and Dwyane Wade after breaking out as an All-Star with the Toronto Raptors. He’s also credited for helping usher in the pace-and-space era by being a rim-protector on defense while spacing the court for LeBron James. Health issues, unfortunately, cut his career short but he averaged better than 19 points and 8 rebounds per game on his way to 11 All-Star Game selections. The Miami Heat retired his jersey last season.
5. Dwyane Wade
Dwayne Wade was another prize of the 2003 NBA Draft. He averaged 22 points, almost five rebounds and better than five assists in a career that saw him spend most of his time with the Miami Heat. He is a three-time NBA champ and 13-time All-Star.
6. Chris Kaman
Chris Kaman spent eight seasons with the Clippers, the team that drafted him from Central Michigan. The 7-0, 265-pounder also played for four other teams. He was an All-Star in 2010. He also played for the Lakers, Mavericks and Trail Blazers. Only four times in his 13-year career did Kaman fail to average double-figures in scoring.
7. Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich had two runs with the Chicago Bulls, who chose him from Kansas. He made his mark in the league as a fearsome defender. He also played for the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards. The guard averaged almost 11 points and five assists per game in 14 NBA seasons.
8. T.J. Ford
T.J. Ford came to the Milwaukee Bucks from Texas. His career was dotted with injuries, most notably a tailbone injury that cost him the entirety of the 2004-04 season. Ford still played for four teams over eight seasons and averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 assists per game.
9. Michael Sweetney
Michael Sweetney did not pan out after being drafted by the New York Knicks from Georgetown. He also played for the Chicago Bulls in a short NBA career. Sweetney spent much of his professional career playing overseas. He would later admit to mental health struggles and even a suicide attempt during his rookie season with the Knicks following the death of his father.
10. Jarvis Hayes
Jarvis Hayes played for three teams before exiting the NBA after the 2009-10 season. The small forward/shooting guard averaged about eight points per game. He played overseas until 2015. Hayes is currently an assistant coach at Georgia State.
11. Mickael Pietrus
Hyped as Air France coming into the league, Mickael Pietrus played for five teams in an NBA career that ended in 2012-13. Pietrus became a quality NBA role player and was a key member of the 2009 NBA Finalist Orlando Magic squad that beat LeBron James in the Conference Finals, while he was also a member of the 2012 Boston Celtics that pushed James to seven games before The King’s first title. He averaged in double figures only once, going for 11.1 ppg with the Golden State Warriors in 2006-07.
12. Nick Collison
Nick Collison was drafted and played for the Seattle Supersonics before moving with the franchise to Oklahoma City. He spent his entire career with the Sonics/OKC Thunder franchise. Now retired, Collison played in 910 games and is going to be the first player to have his jersey number retired by the Thunder.
13. Marcus Banks
Marcus Banks played for five teams after being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics. He averaged a tick under six ppg in 348 career games. (Editors Note: He could also ball on NBA Live 2004.)
14. Luke Ridnour
Luke Ridnour spent time with five teams in the NBA after being drafted by the Seattle Supersonics. In June 2015, Ridnour garnered national attention as he was traded four times in the span of six days. Shortly thereafter, Ridnour walked away from the NBA. The guard from Oregon averaged 9.3 points and 4.5 assists in 13 NBA seasons. He was a solid pro but rarely got to show it on the big stage, making the postseason only three times in his career.
15. Reece Gaines
Reece Gaines played in 71 games in his NBA career. He averaged 1.7 points per game while playing for three teams after playing college ball at Louisville.
16. Troy Bell
Troy Bell played in six games for Memphis before setting off on a worldwide odyssey that saw him play for 15 teams in leagues all over the world through 2016.
17.Žarko Čabarkapa
Zarko Cabarkapa played for the Suns and Warriors. His NBA career encompassed 150 games and he averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
18. David West
David West played 15 seasons in the NBA after being drafted by the then-New Orleans Hornets out of Xavier (OH). West was a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors and two-time NBA All-Star. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He was also a key member of the Indiana Pacers squads from earlier in the decade that would often push LeBron James and his Miami Heat in the postseason.
19. Sasha Pavlovic
Sasha Pavlovic played in 567 games with seven teams after being drafted by the Utah Jazz. His NBA peak was when he was a starter for all 20 games of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James’ first run to the NBA Finals in 2007. The 6-foot-8 forward played in the NBA through 2012-13 and averaged a tick less than 5 points per game.
20. Dahntay Jones
Dahntay Jones played for eight teams and was part of the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James in 2016. He played in 624 games and averaged 5.4 ppg.
21. Boris Diaw
Boris Diaw spent 14 seasons in the NBA and was a member of the 2014 champion San Antonio Spurs, which was eventually the final opponent LeBron James would ever face as a member of the Miami Heat. Diaw was voted the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2006. Diaw averaged 8.6 points 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Diaw is also the subject of the most iconic Bill Walton soliloquy we’ve ever heard.
