LeBron James was chosen No. 1 in the NBA draft Thursday night and strode onstage wearing an all-white suit, appropriate garb for a player expected to be the savior of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James, the 18-year-old prep phenom from Akron, hugged his agent, Aaron Goodwin, then turned and did the same to his mother, Gloria, before pulling on a Cavaliers cap and shaking the hand of commissioner David Stern.

"I just think I look pretty good in all white," said James, whose suit was custom-made by a Charlotte fashion designer. "My guy made it for me and said he'd make the best suit in the draft."

The most heralded high school player of a generation, James is considered a can't-miss prospect with the skills of a guard, the body of a forward and the potential of a superstar.

James turned to the audience and beamed a wide smile, although the audience at Madison Square Garden didn't exactly embrace him. Many in the raucous crowd were already busy chanting "Fire Lay-den" - a reference to general manager Scott Layden of the hometown Knicks.

"It was great. This is a longtime dream - to finally accomplish this," James said.

Serbian 7-footer Darko Milicic was chosen second by the Detroit Pistons, stopping to kiss the cheeks of his family who sat with him at the table next to the James entourage.

Carmelo Anthony, who led Syracuse to the national championship, was chosen third by the Denver Nuggets - capping the drama-less first 15 minutes.

The Toronto Raptors, who were listening to trade offers throughout the day, used the No. 4 pick on 6-foot-11 freshman forward Chris Bosh of Georgia Tech.

"Being picked so high is a definite honor. You always hope," Bosh said. "I'm happy it's over."

Miami then went for Marquette junior guard Dwyane Wade, who said Wednesday that he had no idea whether he'd be picked anywhere from fourth to 10th.

"I've been living in cold all my life. If I go to the Heat, with the warm weather, that'll be good, too," Wade said.

Central Michigan center Chris Kaman, a 7-footer who averaged 22.4 points last season as a junior, went sixth to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Two teams with point guard problems snatched the two top-rated playmakers with the next two picks.

Kirk Hinrich of Kansas was the first senior to be selected, going sixth to Chicago. The Bulls will likely be without Jay Williams, the second overall pick of last year's draft, for at least a year after he broke his leg in a motorcycle accident last weekend.

T.J. Ford of Texas, winner of the Naismith and Wooden awards, went at No. 8 to the Milwaukee Bucks - a possible sign that the franchise expects point guard Gary Payton to leave as a free agent over the summer.

"Sam Cassell is a great player I followed throughout my life. If they re-sign Gary Payton, then I'll be learning from two of the best in the NBA," Ford said.

The "Fire Lay-den" chants began anew before the Knicks selected Georgetown power forward Michael Sweetney - a choice that brought a mixed reaction from a partisan crowd that was on its feet as Stern announced the selection.

"They called my name and they cheered for me, and that made me feel real happy," said Sweetney, who will be the fifth power forward on New York's roster.

Jarvis Hayes of Georgia went 10th to the Washington Wizards, who moved out of their Michael Jordan era by naming Eddie Jordan head coach last week and signing Jerry Stackhouse to a two-year contract extension earlier Thursday.

"I think I can make an impact right away," Hayes said.

Mickael Pietrus, a 6-6 swingman from France, was the second international player taken, going 11th to the Golden State Warriors.

Nick Collison of Kansas, the second-leading scorer in school history behind Danny Manning, went 12th to the Seattle SuperSonics - the only team with two of the top 14 picks.

Memphis selected defensive specialist Marcus Banks, a point guard from UNLV, with the final lottery pick - team president Jerry West's first draft pick since leaving the Lakers and his highest selection since choosing Eddie Jones 10th in 1994.

Seattle used its second pick on Oregon point guard Luke Ridnour, and Orlando tabbed Louisville's Reese Gaines at No. 15 - the fifth point guard selection of the round.

Boston drew some gasps with the 16th pick, taking Boston College guard Troy Bell - who averaged at least 20 points in his final three college seasons. The Celtics also had the 20th pick, with the Pistons (25th) and Grizzlies (27th) also set to make a pair of first-round selections.

College player of the year David West of Xavier went to the New Orleans Hornets at No. 18, possible insurance in case free agent P.J. Brown signs elsewhere this summer.

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