Did 76ers Get a Top Draft Steal With Kyle Korver in 2003?

With the 51st overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers landed a four-year prospect out of Creighton with Kyle Korver. At the time, nobody was talking about Kyle Korver's potential in the NBA. It probably had something to do with the fact that he wasn't a first-round pick back in the early 2000s.

Not to mention, the 2003 NBA Draft had some stellar talent joining the pros from the earlier picks. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade all headlined the class for obvious reasons as they were selected in the top five, rightfully so. 

And while teams like Denver, Cleveland, and Miami hit on their early-round picks, it's quite rare for basketball fans to talk about how the Philadelphia 76ers hit on a late-round pick during that draft year with their 51st selection of Kyle Korver.

Now, let's not go crazy and compare Korver to the LeBron's and the D-Wade's of the NBA, but the idea of calling Korver one of the top draft steals of the 2000s isn't exactly far-fetched. In fact, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz made a case for the veteran sharpshooter.

The Case for Kyle Korver

"Seventeen years later, Korver has become one of the NBA's greatest three-point shooters. His lifetime mark of 42.9 percent ranks 10th in league history, while his 2,437 career made threes is fourth overall, trailing Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and Stephen Curry."

"Wherever Korver has gone, success has followed. He's on pace to make the playoffs for a 14th time, tied with James for the most in the 2003 draft class. He's been an All-Star and an NBA Player of the Month (Jan. 2015), and he's led the league in three-point shooting four times, including an NBA-record 53.6 percent in 2009-10."

At this point in his career, it's hard to argue just how successful Korver has been during his 17-year stint in the NBA. While Korver didn't remain in Philly for the majority of his career, he did manage to hit his stride early on with the Sixers. By year two, Korver became a regular in the 76ers' starting rotation and managed to notch his career-high of 14.4 points-per-game in 2006 coming off the bench that season.

Philly might've given up on the veteran three-point specialist early on, but the fact remains that the 76ers found a diamond in the rough during a notable draft year. For a moment, it seemed like everything would come full-circle, and Korver would finish off where he started, but the 76ers will keep Korver's five-year stint in Philly as an early 2000s memory. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_