The 2003 NBA draft marked the selection of some of the greatest players in NBA history. LeBron James was chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall pick, while the Detroit Pistons had the second overall pick. Instead of selecting the highly anticipated Carmelo Anthony, they chose Darko Milicic, which led to significant criticism.
Many fans labeled Milicic as one of the worst NBA draft choices in history because he didn’t perform at the expected level in the NBA. The Pistons passed on future NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade to select Milicic. However, a former NBA player believes that he was the reason Anthony never became a Piston.
In a recent episode of The Knuckleheads Podcast, Tayshaun Prince, the 23rd overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, revealed how he influenced the team’s decision to pass on drafting Anthony in the 2003 NBA draft. You can hear the conversation at the 35:40 mark in the video mentioned below.
“I think how management looked at it was like they found their future small forward in me, let’s take a chance on Darko because remember (Mehmet) Okur, who we had, who was super talented, there was a chance we were going to lose him in free agency, which we did. Then obviously (Rasheed Wallace), so it was like however they want to call it, we’ll take a chance on Darko.” Prince said.
Anthony, who recently criticized USA Athlete Noah Lyles, was chosen third overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets. During his first NBA season, the ten-time NBA All-Star averaged 21 points, 2.8 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Carmelo Anthony’s Dominance In The League
Anthony, who is regarded as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, has had a 19-year professional basketball career, playing for six teams: Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers.
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The 40-year-old has wowed basketball fans with his exceptional skills over the years. His best season was in 2006-07, where he averaged 28.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Throughout his career, Anthony has achieved many milestones, including winning the NBA scoring champion honor in 2013, making ten NBA all-star appearances, and being named to the All-NBA Second Team twice. He has also excelled in international competitions, representing Team USA four times and winning a bronze medal in 2004 and gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
Also Read: Former Denver Nuggets Coach Publicly Announces That He Is “Done Feuding” With Carmelo Anthony
