The Cleveland Cavaliers select Akron prep megastar Lebron James, who would go on to break the league’s all-time scoring record, coinciding with one of the most amazing hardwood careers ever
On June 26, 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked LeBron James first overall in that year’s NBA Draft. A resident of nearby Akron and a hero at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School, he would begin his pro journey close to home, immediately making him one of Ohio’s favorite sons. The selection process that night would prove to be the launching pad for one of the basketball world’s most storied and celebrated careers.
James wasted little time proving he belonged among basketball’s elite. He captured the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, immediately validating the enormous expectations that had followed him since his teenage years.
Over the next two decades, “King James” would rewrite record books while collecting four NBA championships, four league Most Valuable Player Awards, four Finals MVP honors, and countless All-NBA selections. In 2023, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, adding another remarkable milestone to an already unparalleled résumé.
Beyond his accomplishments on the court, James became an influential philanthropist through his LeBron James Family Foundation, opening the I PROMISE School in his hometown of Akron to support at-risk students and their families. From “The Chosen One” as a high school phenom to one of the greatest players the sport has ever known, the Cavaliers’ decision on that June evening forever altered the course of NBA history.
