The 2003-04 NBA season saw a number of exciting changes, with new rules and regulations implemented to improve the game. The league was in its 58th year, and featured 30 teams split into two conferences; Eastern Conference and Western Conference. A total of 82 regular season games were played per team for an overall 1,230 matches during the regular season. At the end of it all, it was the Detroit Pistons who emerged victorious against their rivals Los Angeles Lakers 4–1 in what turned out to be one of most memorable finals series ever witnessed by fans around the world.
1. Jarvis Hayes
Brooklyn Nets
Career
- High school: Frederick Douglass, (Atlanta, Georgia)
- College: , Western Carolina (1999–2000), Georgia (2001–2003)
- NBA draft 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
- Selected by the Washington Wizards
- Playing career: 2003–2015
- Position: Small forward / Shooting guard
- Number: 24, 9, 22
- Coaching career: 2018–present
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2004), Romanian League champion (2015), Russian Cup winner (2012), SEC Rookie of the Year – Coaches (2002)
Jarvis Hayes was born on August 9, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. After playing college basketball at Western Carolina and Georgia, Jarvis was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Jarvis has spent most of his career playing for the Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks but has also played for Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors during his 11-year professional career to date.
In 2008, Jarvis was hired as an assistant coach with Georgia State Panthers where he currently remains in that role.
Jarvis Hayes is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons. Jarvis Hayes was drafted by the Washington Wizards in 2003 and spent 7 seasons with them before joining the Detroit Pistons in 2007.
He enjoyed considerable success with both teams, winning three championships (with Washington in 2005, 2006 and 2007; with Detroit in 2009, 2010 and 2013).
After retiring from playing professionally at the end of 2015, he has served as an assistant coach for Morehouse College since 2018.
Also Played For: georgia bulldogs men's basketball
2. Darko Miličić
Detroit Pistons
Career
- NBA draft 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
- Selected by the Detroit Pistons
- Playing career: 2001–2012, 2019–2020
- Position: Center
- Number: 13, 31, 99, 26
- 2001–2003: Hemofarm
- 2003–2006: Detroit Pistons
- 2006–2007: Orlando Magic
- 2007–2009: Memphis Grizzlies
- 2009–2010: New York Knicks
- 2010–2012: Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2012: Boston Celtics
- 2019–2020: I Came to Play
- NBA champion (2004)
- Points: 2,813 (6.0 ppg)
- Rebounds: 1,971 (4.2 rpg)
- Blocks: 613 (1.3 bpg)
- Medals, , Men's basketball, Representing Yugoslavia, European Championship for Cadets, : 2001 Latvia: U16 Team
- Men's basketball
- Representing Yugoslavia
- European Championship for Cadets
- : 2001 Latvia: U16 Team
Miličić was born in 1985 and he is a Serbian player. He played for Hemofarm, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Memphis Grizzlies before joining the Timberwolves in April 2010.
Miličić averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds per game during his career. In the 2019-2020 season he signed with the Wolves again but did not play any games due to injury Darko Miličić is a retired professional basketball player who represented Yugoslavia internationally.
Darko Miličić was born in Titograd, SR Serbia, and Montenegro on October 30, 1981. After playing college ball at the University of Kansas, Miličić was drafted by the New York Knicks in the first round (17th overall) of the 2001 NBA draft.
In his five seasons with the Knicks, he averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds per game before being traded to Minnesota Timberwolves for Stephon Marbury midway through the 2006-07 season.
He played two more seasons with Minnesota before signing as a free agent with Boston Celtics prior to the 2009-10 season where he won his only championship ring as part of that team's roster.
3. Michael Sweetney
Career
- High school: Oxon Hill (Oxon Hill, Maryland)
- College: Georgetown (2000–2003)
- NBA draft 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
- Selected by the New York Knicks
- Playing career: 2003–2017
- Position: Power forward
- Number: 50,60
- Coaching career: 2019–present
- Second-team All-American – NABC (2003), Third-team All-American – SN (2003)
- Medals, , Men's basketball, Representing United States, FIBA U21 World Championship, : 2001 Saitama: Team competition
- Men's basketball
- Representing United States
- FIBA U21 World Championship
- : 2001 Saitama: Team competition
Sweetney played in the NBA for 10 seasons, most notably with the New York Knicks. In 2019, he was appointed assistant coach of Yeshiva Maccabees of the Skyline Conference.
Sweetney has a degree from Georgetown and coached there before joining the ranks of coaching staffs. Sweetney has spent his entire playing career in the United States, including stints with the Knicks, Bulls and BayHawks.
Sweetneys standout season came in 2010 when he averaged 14 points and seven rebounds for Cangrejeros de Santurce of Liga Nacional de Baloncesto (LNB). In 2013, Sweetney joined Guaiqueríes de Margarita of the LNBP as a player-coach.
The team made it to the Final Four where they lost to eventual champions Urunday Universitario. Sweeetney rejoined Urunday as an assistant coach this year under head coach David Blatt before taking over at Yeshiva University in 2019.
Also Played For: georgetown hoyas
4. Troy Bell
Career
- High school: Academy of Holy Angels, (Richfield, Minnesota)
- College: Boston College (1999–2003)
- NBA draft 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall
- Selected by the Boston Celtics
- Playing career: 2003–2016
- Position: Point guard
- Number: 3
- 2003–2004: Memphis Grizzlies
- 2004: Real Madrid
- 2005–2006: Skyliners Frankfurt
- 2006: Albuquerque Thunderbirds
- 2006–2007: Austin Toros
- 2007–2008: Angelico Biella
- 2008: Fastweb Casale Monferrato
- 2008–2010: Gruppo Triboldi Basket
- 2010–2011: Entente Orléanaise
- 2011: Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia
- 2012: Pallacanestro Sant'Antimo
- 2012–2013: Sigma Barcellona
- 2013–2014: Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia
- 2015: Akhisar Belediyespor
- 2015–2016: San Lorenzo
- 2× Consensus second-team All-American (2001, 2003), 2× Big East Player of the Year (2001, 2003), 3× First-team All-Big East (2001–2003)
- Medals, , Men’s basketball, Representing United States, FIBA U21 World Championship, : 2001 Saitama: Team competition
- Men’s basketball
- Representing United States
- FIBA U21 World Championship
- : 2001 Saitama: Team competition
Troy Bell was a standout high school player and helped lead Academy of Holy Angels to two state championships. In 2003, the Boston Celtics drafted Bell with the 16th overall pick in the NBA draft.
He spent four seasons with Memphis Grizzlies before joining Real Madrid for two years. Bell then played for Skyliners Frankfurt until he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016.
Troy is currently a free agent and is considered one of the best point guards in the league today Troy Bell is a professional basketball player who has spent the majority of his career playing in Europe.
Troy Bell was born on December 7, 1978, in Santa Clara, California. Troy Bell played collegiately at Santa Clara University and then moved to Europe to play professionally.
In 2001, he won both the Big East Player of the Year award and the Consensus second-team All-American accolade as a sophomore at Syracuse University.
He then transferred to Arizona State where he finished his college career with averages of 18 points and 5 rebounds per game over three seasons (2002–2004).
After going undrafted out of college, Troy Bell signed with Italian side Biella for two years before moving to Casale Monferrato in Italy for another two years (2008–2010).
He then had a short stint with Spanish club Triboldi Basket before returning home to sign with Reggio Emilia for one year (2011). On July 1st 2014, Troy Bell signed with Turkish side Akhisar Belediyespor which marked his return back home after five years abroad.
5. Ndudi Ebi
Boulazac Basket Dordogne
Career
- High school: Westbury Christian School, (Houston, Texas)
- NBA draft 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26th overall
- Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
- Playing career: 2003–2019
- Position: Forward
- 2003–2005: Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2005–2006: Fort Worth Flyers
- 2007–2008: Bnei HaSharon
- 2008–2009: Carife Ferrara
- 2009–2010: Basket Rimini Crabs
- 2010–2011: Andrea Costa Imola
- 2011: Limoges CSP
- 2011: Ningxia Hanas
- 2011–2012: Anibal Zahle
- 2012: Jiangsu Dragons
- 2012: Sidigas Avellino
- 2013: Vaqueros de Bayamón
- 2013: Bnei Herzliya
- 2014: Virtus Bologna
- 2014: Zamalek
- 2015: Virtus Roma
- 2015–2016: PMS Torino
- 2016: Manama
- 2016–2017: Byblos Club
- 2017: Shahrdari Tabriz
- 2017: Al-Ahli
- 2017–2018: Boulazac Basket Dordogne
- NBL China scoring champion (2011), Israeli League Rebounding Leader (2008), First-team Parade All-American (2003)
Ndudi Ebi was born in London, England on 18 June 1984. He played high school basketball for Westbury Christian School in Houston, Texas before being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2003.
Ndudi Ebi spent his entire professional career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, appearing in over 500 games and averaging 14 points per game during that time. In 2019, Ndudi Ebi announced his retirement from professional basketball after 11 seasons playing professionally around the world.
Ebi was born in Nigeria and played college basketball for the University of Utah. Ebi was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 53rd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, but he wasn't able to make an impact in his rookie season due to injuries.
In 2010, Ebi joined Andrea Costa Imola of Italy's Serie A and helped lead them to a promotion playoffs berth before being traded to Limoges CSP during the 2011 offseason.
After playing sparingly with Ningxia Hanas over two seasons, Ebi signed with Anibal Zahle's Jiangsu Dragons midway through 2012–13 campaign and averaged 10 points per game en route to winning Chinese League MVP honors that year.
With Sidigas Avellino again after signing as a free agent prior to 2013–14 season, he led them back into Italian League Playoffs where they eventually lost 2-1 against Virtus Bologna after leading 1-0 at halftime of their semifinal series opener.
6. Reece Gaines
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
Career
- High school: Madison West, (Madison, Wisconsin)
- College: Louisville (1999–2003)
- NBA draft 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
- Selected by the Orlando Magic
- Playing career: 2003–2012
- Position: Shooting guard / Point guard
- Number: 22, 4, 34
- Coaching career: 2012–present
- As Player:, Third-team All-American – AP, NABC, SN (2003), 2× First-team All-Conference USA (2002, 2003)
Reece Gaines was born on January 7, 1981 in Madison, Wisconsin. He played college basketball for Louisville and was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 2003.
In his NBA career, Gaines has played for the Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks. He currently works as a video coordinator with the Louisville Cardinals football team.
Reece Gaines is a 22-year old basketball player who has spent the past three seasons coaching with Eastern Kentucky. As a player, Reece gained experience playing for Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Milwaukee Bucks before joining Italian side Angelico Biella in 2007.
After two years at Biella, Reece moved to Bakersfield Jam in 2009 as part of an expansion team in the D-League. In 2010 he signed with Peristeri before spending one season with Texas Legends and another year assistant coach at JA Vichy (2014–15).
In 2016 Reece joined Bellarmine as an assistant where he stayed until 2019 when he was named head coach of Eastern Kentucky University's men's team.
Final Words
. . The 2003-04 NBA season saw a number of exciting changes, with new rules and regulations implemented. This resulted in some of the best players ever being on display, including Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
