Inside the Machine: The GREATEST Draft Class In NBA History

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
Many consider the 2003 NBA draft to be the most stacked of all time. Four out of the first five picks became Hall of Famers, while the odd man out became a historical bust. But with nine all-stars, arguably the greatest player of all time, one of the best shooters ever, and a record 27 players who spent 10 or more years in the NBA, the 2003 class was one of the deepest drafts ever.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:23)
You have some other classes that produced multiple Hall of Famers, but I think if you look at the depth of 2003, that's where it sort of edges out the other way.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:31)
From legends to all-stars and quality rotation players that won 27 NBA titles combined, the 2003 class had it all. This is the recap of the legendary 2003 NBA draft, a class that made history and had arguably the worst draft day fashion of all time. Okay.

**SPEAKER_4** (0:49)
What are you laughing at?

**SPEAKER_1** (0:51)
Before the 2003 draft lottery took place, there was an unusual buzz about the next crop of rookies. Not only was there a lot of talent in the draft, but the NBA was at a crossroads, desperate for some new superstars. After Michael Jordan retired for good in April of 2003, there was a scarcity of marketable young stars, and the league was losing money. T-Mac, Vince Carter, and Allen Iverson were all playing on bad teams, and outside of the Lakers and their two stars, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the league didn't have many national draws. The 2003 NBA finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets was the lowest rated in history, with 50% fewer viewers than the 1998 finals. There was a belief, or at least a hope, that a new generation of stars could turn things around, and the 2003 class had several promising candidates. The most talented player in the draft was dubbed the Chosen One. He was arguably the best high school player of all time, and the most hyped prospect ever. And even though LeBron James was only 18 years old, prep to pro superstars like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady proved that betting on high school kids made a ton of sense.

**SPEAKER_5** (1:55)
Just as skilled as Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett at the same age, but he is far more physically imposing. And Mike, I'll tell you, I don't think any reasonable basketball person would take anyone else number one than LeBron James in this draft. It's an absolute no-brainer.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:08)
However, if anyone could have taken the number one spot away from James in the draft, it was the 2003 NCAA champion with Syracuse, Carmelo Anthony.

**Carmelo Anthony** (2:16)
Everywhere I go, a lot of people want to say LeBron to me. I get tired of hearing that name. Deep down inside, I just be wanting to explore, like, please don't say that name to me anymore. I don't want to hear his name.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:29)
Mello averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds as a freshman. He won the award for the most outstanding player of the final four, and if there was a sure bet in the draft, Mello was it, as he was widely considered the best scorer in college basketball. However, despite Anthony's talent and accolades, the European prospect Darko Milicic showed arguably an even bigger upside.

**Dwayne Wade** (2:50)
Darko comes out of nowhere around that time. You know, we didn't know anything about Darko, so out of mind, we were like, OK, Carmelo's going to. We know that. So those were the top two players in our draft, until Darko came in.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:00)
Milicic was only 17 years old and was a seven footer who could shoot from the outside, but was also strong enough to battle in the post. And with mobile feet and a seven foot five wingspan, Darko showed tremendous defensive potential. Following the success of Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Gasol and Tony Parker, but also Yao Ming and Mano Janobili, among the NBA GMs, there was a frenzy for international prospects. Just a decade ago, European players were sparse and NBA teams rarely looked outside of the US to find talent. But in 2003, the Euros and other international players were viewed as tactically polished, skilled, and mature players who could contribute right away. And Darko's potential glazed the eyes of almost every general manager in the NBA.

**SPEAKER_5** (3:43)
Darko Milicic is an intriguing prospect because he's seven foot tall, he's a left-hander, and he is long and very skilled, perhaps the most skilled big man in this year's draft. He can get up and down the floor. And when you talk about the combination of size and skill, Darko Milicic has a chance to be great. That makes him very intriguing.