LeBron James came into the NBA in the 2003 draft. The same draft class which is known to produce some of the greatest ever talents in modern-day basketball. The 4-time NBA Champ might’ve been the most successful among their all but take a look at the list of all the other stars who were picked after the #1 overall pick in the ’03 draft.
But to bring everyone on the same page – the depth of LeBron James’ game can still not be defined by the statistics mentioned season-after-season. Moreover, on one hand where LeBron James remains to be the only professional NBA player to win Finals MVP with three different teams, he has also had some stellar partnerships with players of his own draft class.
Apart from LeBron James, who was the #1 pick by Cleveland Cavaliers – stars like Kyle Korver (51st pick by New Jersey Nets), Mo Williams (47th pick by Utah Jazz), Carmelo Anthony (3rd pick by Denver Nuggets), Chris Bosh (2nd pick by Toronto Raptors) and Dwayne Wade (5th pick by Miami Heat).
LeBron James’ relation with players from his own draft class
LeBron James unarguably had the best relationship with Dwayne Wade on as well as off the court. Them teaming up in Miami Heat sent ripples across the league, something which can still be felt whenever one talks about the same franchise. The 5th pick from the draft has won 3 NBA Championships, two of which were alongside LeBron James.
After which, Chris Bosh ended his seven-season spell with Toronto Raptors to frame the Big 3 in Miami with Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.
Now, if we talk about Carmelo Anthony, he and LeBron played together in Hollywood for the entire 2021-22 season. But that stint was as miserable as anything, with both of them going onto miss the playoffs altogether.
Lastly, if we talk about Kyle Korver and LeBron James’ relationship – the duo played together for two seasons. Together they made appearances in two NBA Finals, both times they lost out to Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant led Golden State Warriors.
