The Detroit Pistons won their last NBA championship in 2004 and made their last NBA Finals appearance in the next season. Former Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince recently opened up on the franchise’s shocking decision to pick former Serbian center Darko Milicic over 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 NBA draft.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, was the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first overall pick in the 2003 Draft. The Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets had the next two picks, respectively, and the Pistons selected Milicic while the Nuggets acquired Melo.
In his recent appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast, Tayshuan recalled what made the Pistons pick Milicic over Carmelo. He said, “The players, we all thought we were taking Melo. We all thought—like, we knew Darko came and worked out for us, but in our minds, because we hadn’t seen Darko play…”
He added, “We had seen Melo. So we were like, ‘Man, how did we luck out and get this pick with the team we have now?’ I think how management looked at it was that they found their future small forward in me, so they decided to take a chance on Darko.”
Is Pistons’ Choice To Pick Milicic Over Carmelo’s Biggest Draft Mistake?
The Detroit Pistons were already championship contenders in the 2003-04 season and had the second overall pick. While they won the 2024 NBA title, former stars, including Tayshaun and Chauncey Billups, believe the team could have won more championships with Melo. The 2004 Finals MVP claimed they could have ended LeBron’s time at the Cavaliers earlier with the 2013 scoring champion.
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Billups believes Carmelo could have transformed the Detroit Pistons’ legacy if he was selected in the 2003 NBA Draft. While the Pistons won the 2004 championship without Melo, many believe they missed out on multiple championships due to the 2003 Draft mistake. However, this is not the only hypothetical scenario in the NBA.
Also Read: THIS NBA Player Was The Reason Why Carmelo Anthony Never Became A Detroit Piston
