New York ? LeBron James 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, Ohio, was the No. 1 choice in the NBA draft Thursday night. He 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, N.C., 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 raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden didn’t exactly embrace him. Many fans were already busy chanting “Fire Lay-den” — a reference to general manager Scott Layden of the hometown Knicks.

“I’m one of the highest publicized players in the country right now, and I haven’t even played one game of basketball in the NBA. I know I’m a marked man,” James said.

Serbian 7-footer Darko Milicic was chosen second by the Detroit Pistons, the first of a record 21 international picks.

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, after 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.

The night’s first of six trades came about 90 minutes after James was chosen, with Memphis sending the rights to the 13th pick, Marcus Banks of UNLV, and the 27th pick (Kendrick Perkins of Beaumont, Texas) to the Boston Celtics for the rights to picks 16 (Troy Bell of Boston College) and 20 (Dahntay Jones of Duke).

“We got two players from an athletic standpoint who were at the top of the list of all the players in the draft,” Grizzlies president Jerry West said. “We are very excited about what we did.”

San Antonio later traded the 28th pick, Brazilian point guard Leandro Barbosa, to Phoenix for a future first-round pick. There were four deals involving second-round picks.

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 next.

Kirk Hinrich of Kansas University was the first college 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.

The crowd went nuts when the Knicks used the first pick of the second round on Polish center Maciej Lampe, who was considered a possible lottery pick in the days leading up to the draft.

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.

Mickael Pietrus, a 6-6 swingman from France, was the second of a record nine international players taken in the first round, going 11th to the Golden State Warriors.

After Memphis selected Banks, Seattle used its second pick on Oregon point guard Luke Ridnour, and Orlando tabbed Louisville’s Reece Gaines at No. 15 — the fifth point guard selection of the round.

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.