LeBron James NBA Draft, revisited: Age, pick number and more to know about legend's selection in 2003

Jacob Camenker

LeBron James NBA Draft, revisited: Age, pick number and more to know about legend's selection in 2003 image

LeBron James and his family are awaiting an important milestone Thursday. The Lakers star is hoping his son, Bronny James, will be selected into the NBA on the second day of the league's 2024 draft.

Bronny was among the top recruits in the 2023 classic, and there was hope he would reach his full athletic and playmaking potential at USC. Instead, he was merely decent in his lone season with the Trojans, coming off the bench and averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.3 minutes per game.

The younger James' performance was impressive considering he was just six months removed from a cardiac event he endured during the summer. Still, he faced many questions about whether he would crack the 58 selections in the 2024 NBA Draft and which team would select him if he did.

Bronny's draft day situation is a lot different than what his father faced when entering the NBA 21 years ago. LeBron was viewed as a generational talent, which made him a shoo-in as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Here's what to know about the elder James' draft class, and what it looks like more than two decades after he was chosen.

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When was LeBron James drafted?

LeBron James was drafted in 2003. He was the No. 1 overall pick in that year's class after he starred at St. Vincent-St. Mary's high school in Akron.

James was selected by his hometown team, the Cavaliers, with the top pick. He was believed to be a generational talent who could eventually develop into the face of the NBA.

More than 20 years later, James has lived up to those expectations. He has won four championships with the Heat (two), Cavaliers (one) and Lakers (one) while rivaling Michael Jordan as one of the best and most successful players in NBA history.

MORE: Why there was no consensus No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft

How old was LeBron James when he was drafted?

James was just 18 years old when the Cavaliers selected him with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He didn't turn 19 until Dec. 30, 2003, so he was one of the NBA's youngest players at the time of his selection.

For those wondering, Bronny James is still just 19 years old and won't turn 20 until Oct. 6, 2024. He may be a bit older than his father was when he was drafted, but the USC product remains a high-upside player who has plenty of room to continue growing and improving at the NBA level.

MORE: Breaking down the best fits for Bronny James, from the Mavericks to the Raptors

Did LeBron James go to college?

LeBron James was one of the NBA's final draft picks to go pro after only ever playing at the high school level. He did not attend college as a result, choosing to go pro in basketball after starring at St. Vincent-St. Mary's high school and establishing himself as a likely No. 1 pick.

James does maintain a rooting interest in college sports. He's a noted Ohio State fan, but he pulled for USC during Bronny's lone season with the team.

Still, the elder James' interest doesn't come from ties to an alma mater. It's more about geography and family for him.

MORE: Why LeBron influencing JJ Redick hire, Bronny draft pick would be a mistake

Full 2003 NBA Draft results

James wasn't the only top-tier talent selected in the 2003 NBA Draft. Four of the top five picks in the draft were perennial All-Stars, while plenty of other top role players like David West, Kyle Korver and Mo Williams came off the board later in the draft.

Below is a look at all 58 picks in that draft, from James at No. 1 to Andreas Glyniadakis with the final selection.

RoundPickPlayerPositionTeam
11LeBron JamesSF/PFCavaliers
12Darko MilicicCPistons
13Carmelo AnthonySF/PFNuggets
14Chris BoshPF/CRaptors
15Dwyane WadeSGHeat
16Chris KamanCClippers
17Kirk HinrichPGBulls
18T. J. FordPGBucks
19Michael SweetneyPFKnicks
110Jarvis HayesF/GWizards
111Mickael PietrusG/FWarriors
112Nick CollisonPFSuperSonics
113Marcus BanksPGGrizzlies
114Luke RidnourPGSuperSonics
115Reece GainesF/GMagic
116Troy BellPGCeltics (traded to Memphis)
117Zarko CabarkapaSFSuns
118David WestPFHornets
119Sasha PavlovicF/GJazz
120Dahntay JonesSGCeltics (traded to Memphis)
121Boris DiawPFHawks
122Zoran PlaninicG/FNets
123Travis OutlawSFTrail Blazers
124Brian CookPFLakers
125Carlos DelfinoSGPistons
126Ndudi EbiSFTimberwolves
 27Kendrick PerkinsCGrizzlies (traded to Boston)
128Leandro BarbosaSGSpurs (traded to Phoenix)
129Josh HowardF/GMavericks
130Maciej LampePFKnicks
231Jason KaponoF/GCavaliers
232Luke WaltonSFLakers
233Jerome BeasleyPFHeat
234Sofoklis SchortsanitisCClippers
235Szymon SzewczykPFBucks
236Mario AustinPFBulls
237Travis HansenSGHawks
238Steve BlakePGWizards
239Slavko VranesCKnicks
240Derrick ZimmermanPGWarriors
241Willie GreenSGSuperSonics
242Zaza PachuliaPFMagic
243Keith BogansSGBucks
244Malick BadianePFRockets
245Matt BonnerFBulls (traded to Toronto)
246Sani BecirovicSGNuggets
247Mo WilliamsPGJazz
248James LangCHornets
249James JonesSFPacers
250Paccelis MorlendePG76ers (traded to Seattle)
251Kyle KorverSGNets (traded to Philadelphia)
252Remon van de HareCRaptors
253Tommy SmithPFBulls
254Nedzad SinanovicCTrail Blazers
255Rick RickertPFTimberwolves
256Brandon HunterPFCeltics
257Xue YuyangCMavericks (traded to Denver)
258Andreas GlyniadakisCPistons

James will be one of several Hall of Famers from this draft class. Wade and Bosh have already made it in, while Anthony — a microwave scorer in his prime — should to eventually be enshrined in Springfield.

Still, James remains the best of the bunch in this draft class. He has logged a whopping 263.7 win shares, good for more than double what anyone from his class has collected. That will allow James to coast into the Hall of Fame shortly after he finishes his NBA playing career.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.