Exploring the 5 best draft classes in NBA history

The 2023 NBA Draft could go down as a special class, withtalented prospects such as Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson,Brandon Miller and the Thompson twins as well as some interestingdepth pieces.

But will it ever be considered one of the best draft classes inNBA history? That remains to be seen.

Today, we're going to identify the crème de la crème of NBAdraft classes.

The 2003 NBA Draft

The 2003 NBA Draft featured multiple generational talents thatwould come to define the NBA for the next two decades. Led byLeBron James, this class also included household names such asCarmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Not only did thisdraft have star power, it was also very deep. Twenty-seven playersfrom the 2003 class played at least 10 seasons in the NBA: James,Wade, Anthony, Bosh, Kyle Korver, David West, Zaza Pachulia, NickCollison, Boris Diaw, Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa, JamesJones, Chris Kaman, Kirk Hinrich, Dahntay Jones, Steve Blake, MoWilliams, Luke Ridnour, Willie Green, Matt Bonner, Travis Outlaw,Keith Bogans, Darko Milicic, Mickael Pietrus, Sasha Pavlovic, JoshHoward and Luke Walton. This class featured nine All-Stars andplenty of quality role players.

The 1984 NBA Draft

The 1984 NBA Draft stands as a legendary class, and some mightargue that it's the greatest draft of all-time. Two of the topthree picks — Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon — would ultimatelyetch their names in the annals of basketball history and redefinegreatness. In addition to Jordan and Olajuwon, players like CharlesBarkley, John Stockton and Alvin Robertson showcased their immensetalent as well. This class produced five Hall-of-Famers and sevenAll-Stars.

The 1996 NBA Draft

The 1996 NBA Draft changed the landscape of the league,heralding the arrival of future Hall-of-Famers and icons. Led bythe legendary Kobe Bryant and the enigmatic Allen Iverson, thisclass boasted an array of talent that reinvigorated the game. Thisclass also featured Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, BenWallace, Stephon Marbury, Peja Stojakovic, Shareef Abdur-Rahim,Antoine Walker, Marcus Camby, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Derek Fisher.The 1996 NBA Draft was deep, producing 10 All-Stars and fiveHall-of-Famers. Jon Finkel recently revisited this star-studdedclass in his book "1996," and he ran a terrific excerpt on BasketballNews.

The 1985 NBA Draft

The 1985 NBA Draft was certainly special. This class featured 10All-Stars including Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, JoeDumars, Detlef Schrempf, Xavier McDaniel, Charles Oakley, ACGreen, Terry Porter and Michael Adams. The class also featuredArvydas Sabonis, an overseas legend and terrific Portland TrailBlazer. Like the 1996 NBA Draft, this class has the star power anddepth to be considered one of the best drafts in NBA history.

The 2009 NBA Draft

While not as immediately illustrious as some of the otherclasses on this list, the 2009 NBA Draft proved to be a treasuretrove of talent. This class exemplified the importance of patienceand player development, as Stephen Curry, James Harden, BlakeGriffin, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague would all goon to become All-Stars. Griffin missed his rookie year with aninjury, but dominated as soon as he stepped on an NBA court. Currybattled injuries early in his career, but would become a four-timechampion and two-time MVP. Harden went from being an elite sixthman to an MVP once he got the opportunity in Houston. This classalso featured Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, DarrenCollison, Ty Lawson, Patty Mills, Danny Green, Taj Gibson andPatrick Beverley among others.

Which class is the greatest in NBA history? Tweet us your thoughts!