Darko Milicic Responds to Wade and Carmelo, Calls Larry Brown Senile

Darko Milicic responded to Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade after two NBA legends recently mentioned him via video chat, and also called his former coach Larry Brown senile.

Milicic, the former No.2 pick at the famous 2003 NBA draft, was a subject of talks between Wade and Carmelo recently. Melo, who was drafted third behind Milicic, stated that he doesn’t remember who was picked between him and LeBron James, and was trying to be a little bit diminishing to the Serbian international.

Carmelo Anthony "forgot" who was drafted before him in 2003 while talking with Dwyane Wade.
2003 NBA Draft (The 1st 5 picks):
1. LeBron James
2. Darko Miličić
3. Carmelo Anthony
4. Chris Bosh
5. Dwayne Wade pic.twitter.com/PDAzDj7ujT

— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) March 28, 2020

Knowing Milicic’s temperament, it didn’t need to long for him to respond.

“The guys are probably bored since they remembered me,” Milicic said to the local media. ” and since I have farmer duties to attend, and save plants from frost these days, I don’t have to waste on nuisance.”

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, professional athletes are making more and more group video chats on social networks, trying to fill in free time created by the NBA pause. In one of those chats, Wade was recalling the 2003 NBA draft, saying that he believed back then that Melo would go first, adding that according to his opinion, neither James or Darko deserved to be in front of him.

That was the moment when Melo reacted, acting as he didn’t know who was between him and LBJ.

Many interpreted this as a way of mocking to Milicic. Still, the Serbian, who retired from playing professional basketball, doesn’t want to hold any grudges against Anthony.

“Regarding these talks, I think my story is finished. They, thank God, made it, and I didn’t.”

Milicic had a message to both, trying to put an end to the entire case. He recalled his past and the bad relationship with Larry Brown, the Pistons head coach in those years.

“Advice to them, because I consider both good guys, don’t judge and laugh at others when you haven’t experienced what they did, and when you didn’t have any business as a rookie with vain and later senile Larry Brown, and who would try to make you something you weren’t and in the end humiliate you.”

Milicic was considered as one of the greatest ever prospects in the NBA. Although it was against the rules, he was drafted without being 18 years old. David Stern, the Commissioner back then, allowed that exception because he saw tremendous potential in Darko. With fantastic speed, excellent offense, and athleticism rarely seen, many believed that he would be a Hall of Famer one day. Milicic was left-handed and was a versatile big man with a superb basketball IQ, which is why Joe Dumars, who was the president of the basketball operations in Detroit, wanted to have him in Motor City at all cost.

He was even visiting his parents back in Serbia, but apparently, Dumars didn’t coordinate those moves with Brown, who was never a fan of Milicic. At the time, the Pistons were the champions, and the most dominant team in the East, with a vicious Wallace duo under the rim, Ben and Rasheed. That pretty much limited the Serb and his development.

During this time in Detroit, Milicic lost the desire to play basketball, and although he had some chances at other teams, he never reached his full potential. As time went by, the media created a massive pressure on him, which is why the Serb eventually decided to quit playing basketball, and go back home to become a big fruit producer.

Today Darko lives quietly and grows apples and is one of the biggest philanthropic figures in Serbia, often donating the money without revealing himself or his family. He recently formed a team with his close friends and is playing amateur basketball in the lowest division of Serbian league.