The early 2000s saw the preps-to-pros movement reach fever pitch, as nearly every talented young stud intended to forgo college eligibility and start their NBA careers right away. While some were worthy of all the hype that accompanied them wherever they went, many fell by the wayside and were cast aside. Unable to play college ball, they were left to fend for themselves in professional leagues in the U.S. and abroad.
Two vanguards of that movement were LeBron James and Sebastian Telfair . Heralded as the preeminent players of their respective draft classes, they drew mammoth crowds wherever they played and received attention that not even the actual pros did. The two phenoms even graced the cover of SLAM Magazine, appearing in the August 2002 issue with the headline, "The Takeover."
For all intents and purposes, many believed the two would one day take over the big league, seeing as they already had the hoop world in the palm of their hands as high school standouts. Obviously, only one lived up to the massive hype.
Reflecting on that incredible time of his life, Telfair remembered appearing on that memorable cover with James, confident that he and the King were equals.
Unfortunately, he was sorely mistaken.
Related: Sophie Cunningham learned a lot from analyzing the NBA: "They don't have a brain, we do"
Telfair, a cat-quick 6-foot guard who starred at Lincoln High in Brooklyn , was one of the most celebrated players in New York high school basketball history and for good reason. During his senior season, he averaged a remarkable 33.2 points per game and shattered the state's career scoring record with 3,728 points, eclipsing the mark set by former NBA All-Star Kenny Anderson.
In 2004, he was also named Mr. New York Basketball and a McDonald's All-American. And with all his achievements came the spoils. There was a book titled "The Jump" and a documentary titled "Through the Fire." But the real coup de grace was the SLAM cover he shared with James, which he considered par for the course at the time.
"It was normal because, you know, I feel like we was somewhat equals at that time," Telfair said . "We both the top players in the country. We both were serious about basketball."
"But that definitely was super, super cool. Then Bron go be the number one pick a year or two after that. That was definitely a part of my legacy, especially being from New York City," Telfair added. "You know, it definitely heightened the whole thing."
A season after James was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers , Telfair followed suit and was picked 13th by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004. While LeBron immediately made his mark in the NBA and was already dominant in 2004, Sebastian struggled to find his footing.
Despite averaging a solid 8.1 points per game in his first two seasons, Telfair seemingly couldn't hit the broad side of the barn, making only 39.3 percent of his shots, which was a dismal mark for a point guard.
Portland then traded Telfair to Boston in June 2006, kicking off a nomadic NBA journey that saw him play for eight teams in his 10 seasons. Add to that his numerous legal and financial troubles and it's safe to say that what many viewed as a can't-miss prospect turned out to be a dud.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
