Although the Detroit Pistons did end up winning the NBA Championship in the 2003-2004 season, the 2003 NBA Draft is still haunting them to this day.
With the second pick in the draft, the Pistons selected Serbia’s own Darko Milicic passing on elite players such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh! Not only did Milicic not play in Detroit, he has been nothing more than a journeyman throughout his six-year career. Playing for the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, and currently the New York Knicks after his time in the D, his best statistical season came in 2007-2008 when he averaged 8.0 points and 5.5 assists with the Magic.
Not bad huh? Well, terrible when you put that in perspective of the guys he was drafted ahead of including Wade and Anthony who in their worst seasons haven’t done that bad. On the eve of announcing that he would return back overseas after the season saying that “The NBA for me is not the way that I want to be,” I caught up with Darko. He sat in the visitor’s locker room at the Palace of Auburn Hills with me to talk about his time as a Bad Boy.
Eric Woodyard: Obviously you’re coming back to the Palace, are there any hard feelings with the team or anything like that?
Darko Milicic: No. That’s the past. I didn’t play and they didn’t want me to play and I dont understand why they took me with the second pick if they were not gonna play me. I didnt get it but that’s the past and it’s behind me. So that’s it.
EW: Is it pretty emotional? Do you feel like you ever have something to prove?
DM: No, it was different for me the first couple of games because I used to be here as a home game and then the first couple of games to come here as the opposite tables it was kinda different so it was a different feeling. But right now it’s a different team and they have a different team and I already changed like 3 teams so for me coming here…I know I used to be here but it’s nothing like special or anything.
EW: Do you ever get mad when people say that they wasted a pick when they could’ve got Dwyane Wade or…
DM: They did! No, they did waste a pick you know why did they take me. Who knows if I really had a chance to play like these players that play like Dwyane Wade or Carmelo, those guys are incredible players. So for me, being a second pick, I dont get why they didnt play me at all and secondly they did waste you know? Why did they take me? You should take someone that they really think was gonna play right away because just taking someone to sit on the bench you waste a pick and you waste the guy’s time. You wasted my time for three years not playing so you f*** up a player and you f*** up yourself and I just didnt get it. So I just didnt get it, I guess they thought they were gonna be champions forever I dont know?
EW: So what was like your favorite memory here? Obviously yall won a championship here but do you have any good memories?
DM: Really, I didnt have any favorite memories of playing here. Like I said, I didnt have no fun on the court.
EW: Was it any one situation?
DM: I cant really remember. Nah. All those times that I did play, I played in the last couple of minutes in the game when they was 20 up or 20 down so I dont think that’s any fun for anyone. Not for me, I dont know for other people but I got a couple times I got to play in the pre-season but that’s it. In the Miami game, in one game that I got in, I had that dunk but didnt much come on the court.
*This post can also be viewed at SLAMonline.com!
