For fans of the NBA, the top of the 2003 draft class produced some of the league’s best talents. Four of the top five picks that year were LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh would go on to form the superteam in Miami that won four straight Eastern Conference titles and two league championships.
In a classic case of “sublime to the ridiculous” is #2 overall pick, the 7″ tall Serbian center Darko Milicic, who was selected by the Detroit Pistons. While Milicic would win a ring in 2004, he was a spectacular bust and lasted all of 3 seasons in Detroit before being shipped out to Orlando. After a decade of team-hopping and being a general punchline for his ineffectiveness, Milicic is done with pro basketball, and now he has his sights set on kickboxing. NBASerbia (article written in Serbian) reports that Darko will have his first fight announced on Wednesday.
While there is no known footage of Milicic engaging in combat, it should be noted that he’s still only 29 years old. There’s still hope yet that he could succeed in a different sport and become THE most notable modern day athlete from one of the big 4 North American sports (American football, basketball, hockey, and baseball) to transition into a combat sports stud.