• The 2003 NBA Draft is regarded as one of the best of all time.
  • The first fives picks alone produced NBA legends like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade – some of the most successful players in NBA history.
  • Like all drafts, it also produced busts who didn’t accomplish much in the NBA and fell out of the league quickly.
  • Today, many players are still involved in basketball while some have moved on entirely.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The 2003 NBA Draft remains one of the most legendary drafts in NBA history.

Though it may lack the depth of the classic 1996 Kobe Bryant draft, it was among the most top-heavy we’ve ever seen: LeBron James went first, and the top five picks were rounded out by Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.

Of course, like all drafts, it also produced some famous busts, role players, and players who went into other fields after their playing days were over.

See what happened to the top 29 picks of the draft below:

Tony Manfred contributed to this report.


LeBron James was picked No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

James is in his 16th season and is still regarded as the best player in the NBA and one of the best players of all time, with four MVPs and three titles. He's now with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Foto: sourceHarry How/Getty

Darko Milicic was picked No. 2 overall by the Detroit Pistons.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Considered one of the biggest draft busts ever, Milicic played for six teams in ten years. He later played overseas, became a kickboxer, and now lives on an apple farm in Serbia.

Foto: source"E:60"/ESPN

Read more: One of the NBA's most notorious draft busts is now a happy apple farmer in Serbia who laughs about his NBA career >


Carmelo Anthony was picked No. 3 overall by the Denver Nuggets.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Anthony is a 10-time All-Star, but has bounced around the NBA in recent years. He was traded from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. He played 10 games with the Houston Rockets this season, but eventually split with the team, got traded to the Bulls, bought out, and remains un-signed.

Foto: sourceMary Altaffer/AP

Chris Bosh was picked No. 4 overall by the Toronto Raptors.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Peter Jones

Bosh's career took a turn when he was twice diagnosed with blood clots. Bosh attempted to make comebacks, but teams didn't want to sign him. He gave up on his comeback, and the Heat retired his number in 2019.

Foto: sourceJoe Skipper/AP

Dwyane Wade was picked No. 5 overall by the Miami Heat.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Wade spent 14 of his 16 NBA seasons with the Miami Heat. He retired at the end of the 2018-19 season. He was a 13-time All-Star.

Foto: sourceKathy Willens/AP

Chris Kaman was picked No. 6 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Foto: sourceLisa Blumenfeld/Getty

Kaman retired from the NBA in 2015-16. He played 13 seasons, making one all-Star team, and made $86 million. It's unclear what he does now, but he was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Foto: sourcevia WOOD TV8/YouTube

Kirk Hinrich was picked No. 7 overall by the Chicago Bulls

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Hinrich played 13 seasons in the NBA, 11 of them with the Bulls. He now works with Sanford Power basketball, a training a facility in the midwest.

Foto: sourceSUX Sports/YouTube

Source: Argus Leader


TJ Ford was picked No. 8 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Foto: sourceBrian Bahr/Getty

Ford had to retire in 2012 because of a spinal injury. He now runs basketball camps for Texas high school players.

Foto: sourceTexas Longhorns/YouTube

Source: ESPN


Michael Sweetney was picked No. 9 overall by the New York Knicks.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

He fell out of the league in 2007 after struggling with weight issues. He now is an advocate for mental wellness after opening up about his own struggles with depression.

Foto: sourceDoctorNBA/YouTube

Source: Hoops Hype


Jarvis Hayes was picked No. 10 overall by the Washington Wizards.

Foto: sourceDoug Pensinger/Getty

Hayes played seven seasons in the NBA. He is now an assistant coach for Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Foto: sourceYouTube

Source: Jarvis Hayes/Twitter


Mickael Pietrus was picked No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

He was a solid role player around the league for years, last playing in 2013. As of 2015, he was playing internationally. It's unclear what he does today.

Foto: sourceRich Pedroncelli/AP

Nick Collison was picked No. 12 overall by the Seattle Sonics.

Foto: sourceRonald Martinez/Getty

Collison played for the Sonics/Thunder for his entire career. He announced his retirement in May 2018 and the team retired his jersey in 2019.

Foto: sourceRob Ferguson/AP

Marcus Banks was picked No. 13 overall and traded to the Boston Celtics.

Foto: sourceJamie Squire/Getty Images

Banks played internationally after ten years in the NBA. He has worked as an analyst on NBA TV and played in the Big3.

Foto: sourceJ Pat Carter/Getty

Luke Ridnour was picked No. 14 overall by the Seattle Sonics.

Foto: sourceOtto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Ridnour retired in 2016 after 12 years in the NBA. He occasionally trains basketball players and works with his son's basketball team.

Foto: sourceWilliam Jessup University/YouTube

Source: Yakima Herald


Reece Gaines was picked No. 15 overall by the Orlando Magic.

Foto: sourceEd Betz/AP

Gaines played seven years in the NBA, and is now an assistant coach of Eastern Kentucky University.

Foto: sourcePark Community Credit Union/YouTube

Troy Bell was picked No. 16 overall and traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Foto: sourceREUTERS

Bell only played one season in the NBA. He has since played overseas, most recently in Argentina. He is also an R&B artist.

Foto: sourceYouTube

Source: BC Interruption


Zarko Cabarkapa was picked No. 17 overall by the Phoenix Suns.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

He only played three years in the NBA. In 2015, he became the sports director of the Adriatic Basketball Association League.

Foto: sourceABA Liga/YouTube

Source: HoopsHype


David West was picked No. 18 overall by the New Orleans Hornets.

Foto: sourceElsa/Getty Images

West was a two-time All-Star, playing for four teams in 15 years. He retired in 2018.

Foto: sourceDenis Poroy/AP

Sasha Pavlovic was picked No. 19 overall by the Utah Jazz.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Steve Wilson

After 10 years as a role player in the NBA, he returned to play in Europe. He was cut from the Greek club Panathinaikos in early 2016. As of 2018, he said he was retired and weighing his future.

Foto: sourcevia EuroHoops TV

Source: EuroHoops


Dahntay Jones was picked No. 20 overall and traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Steve Wilson

Jones has bounced around the NBA. He last played in 2017 and now appears as an analyst for various networks.

Foto: sourceFS1

Source: Bleacher Report


Boris Diaw was picked No. 21 overall by the Atlanta Hawks.

Foto: sourceJamie Squire/Getty

Diaw played 14 seasons in the NBA, playing a key role in the Spurs' 2014 championship. He played professionally in France in 2017 and now appears to travel the world.

Foto: sourcevia Instagram/Boris Diaw

Source: Boris Diaw/Instagram


Zoran Planinic was picked No. 22 overall by the New Jersey Nets.

Foto: sourceEd Betz/AP

Planinic went back to Europe in 2006 and was the MVP of the 2012 Eurocup while playing for Russian team BC Khimki Moscow. He most recently played for the Turkish club Efes in 2014.

Foto: sourceWikimedia Commons

Travis Outlaw was picked No. 23 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Foto: sourceStreeter Lecka/Getty Images

After seven seasons with the Blazers, Outlaw bounced around the league and eventually fell out in 2014 after being waived by the 76ers. He now hosts basketball camps in Mississippi.

Foto: sourceMatt Slocum/AP

Source: Columbus Dispatch, Starkville Daily News


Brian Cook was picked No. 24 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Foto: sourceDoug Pensinger/Getty Images


Cook last played in the NBA in 2014. After playing in Japan, Cook played in the Big3 last season.

Foto: sourceGrant Halverson/Getty

Carlos Delfino was picked No. 25 overall by the Detroit Pistons.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Delfino last played in the NBA in 2013. He has since played internationally, most recently in Italy, but was cut by the team in 2018 for "almost violent behavior" with the coach.

Foto: sourceCharlie Neibergall/AP

Source: EuroHoops


Ndudi Ebi was picked No. 26 by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Ron Kuntz

He played two years in the NBA and has played overseas, most recently in China.

Foto: sourceAuxilium Cus Torino/YouTube

Source: BeBasket


Kendrick Perkins was picked No. 27 overall and traded to the Boston Celtics.

Foto: sourceJonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Perkins was a successful role player for several teams. He last played on the Cavaliers in 2018. He has appeared as an analyst on ESPN during the 2018-19 season.

Foto: sourcevia YouTube/ESPN

Leandro Barbosa was picked No. 28 overall and traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Barbosa played 14 years in the NBA, winning Sixth Man of the Year and two championships with the Warriors. He last played with the Suns in 2017 and now plays in Brazil.

Foto: sourceFIBA

Josh Howard was picked No. 29 overall by the Dallas Mavericks.

Foto: sourceREUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Howard left the NBA in 2013 after an injury-plagued career. He was hired as head coach of the Piedmont International University basketball team in 2016.

Foto: sourceWXII 12 News/YouTube

Source: Hoop Dirt


Now, check out some of the names in the star-studded 2019 NBA free agent class...

Foto: sourceMatt Slocum/AP; Winslow Townson/AP; John Raoux;AP

The 2019 NBA free agent class is stacked and has the potential to alter the league - here are the best players available >