The 2003 NBA Draft class was a game-changer — a generational group that reshaped the league’s future. Among the standout names were Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. One of them took home Rookie of the Year honors, but NBA legend Tracy McGrady has made it clear who he believes truly deserved the award.
Carmelo Anthony, then a rising star with the Denver Nuggets, should have won Rookie of the Year over LeBron James, according to McGrady. Anthony, who now has a new gig lined up for the 2025–26 season, continues to host 7PM in Brooklyn, where McGrady recently appeared and revisited the hotly debated rookie race between James and Anthony.
Reflecting on that 2003 NBA season, McGrady pointed out the contrast in team success. While LeBron failed to take the Cleveland Cavaliers to the postseason, Anthony led the Nuggets to a playoff berth — a major accomplishment for any rookie. That context, McGrady suggested, should have tipped the scales.
“You knew Melo, Bron, and those dudes were gonna be tough,” McGrady said on 7PM in Brooklyn. “Honestly, I mean, no shade to anybody, but I thought [Carmelo] should have won Rookie of the Year because you took your team to the playoffs. That is a tremendous accomplishment for a rookie to come in, have that spotlight on him like that, and to get slighted on Rookie of the Year — I ain’t like that at all.”
McGrady recalled how Anthony’s physical style immediately set him apart in Denver. The former Magic and Rockets star believed from the start that Carmelo had the tools to be elite — not just in talent, but in mentality.
“I knew he was gonna be tough because right away, you seen the physicality on the offensive end,” McGrady added. “Typically, young guys come in and they try to ease their way. This m*** was like a bruiser. You had to withstand that for 40 minutes of hell. I admired that young core coming in and being who they were at that time.”
He continued, “You talk about Kobe, AI, myself, and Vince — and now we got some young energy coming in this m*** that’s confident, aggressive, and got game.”
Ultimately, LeBron James was named the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year. He would go on to lead the Cavaliers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2007, cementing his legacy early in what would become a legendary career.
Still, McGrady’s comments reflect a long-standing sentiment among fans and former players: that Carmelo’s rookie campaign was more than worthy of the award — especially considering the playoff impact he made with the Nuggets that season.