I stumbled across this, it's hilarious. Judging by these quotes, Darko may be the most overrated player in NBA history.
http://aol.nba.com/pistons/news/The_...-78462-50.html
Recent quotes on potential draft pick, Darko Milicic
The Word On Darko
“They tried to hold Darko Milicic down in Europe. It didn’t work there – and it’s not going to work here.”
June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“The NBA? The NBA is entertainment. Basketball in Serbia is business.”
Zeljko Lukajic, Head Coach of Hemofarm, Darko Milicic’s premier league team, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“He’s going to own the game. Own the game. We’re going to have to build a new arena. The only thing that could destroy a kid like that is a woman.”
Will Robinson talking about Darko Milicic after seeing him work-out in Detroit, May 30, 2003, ESPN.com
“Milicic grew up in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city. His dad is a burly cop (“All he’s good for is beating people up,” Darko confessed to my advance people); his mother is a 6’3” cleaning lady. The family is poor – an uncle took them in a few years back, only to kick them into the street in a drunken rage.”
Brett Forrest, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“The last time Hemofarm played Buducnost, in Montenegro, the fans threw cell phones at Milicic. When he dunks early on tonight, it is with reprisal on his face. He doesn’t run like a seven-footer. His flesh and bone are proportioned as though by a knowing hand.”
Brett Forrest, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“His game incorporates vast stores of petulance and impatience. He glares at refs. His shoulders sag when calls don’t go his way. He elbows the opposite center in the throat and tosses the ball at another opponent following a whistle. At times, he stalks the court with a leering grin on his face. It may not be the kind of behavior considered classy around here, but that doesn’t really matter: Darko is about to move on.”
Brett Forrest, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“You can’t teach Darko’s lateral quickness or explosiveness. He needs to get a bit stronger, but not too strong, because that quickness gives him a bigger advantage in the post than more strength ever will.”
Arnie Kander, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“Darko really is one of a kind. He runs the floor, handles the ball, shoots an NBA three and plays with his back to the basket. So you can slot him at the 3, 4 or 5. Okay, a few other guys can do that too; what sets Darko apart is his toughness in the post. You’ve got to love a guy who has the footwork to spin by an opponent but still prefers to lower a shoulder and bang. Fact is, Milicic plays in attack mode at both ends of the floor. The more you push, the more he pushes back.”
Chad Ford, ESPN Insider, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“Darko reminds me of a young Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt used to do a little of everything, and I haven’t seen a big man with so much skill since Wilt.”
Will Robinson, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“The brothers are going to respect him.”
Brett Forrest regarding Darko Milicic, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
"The gap that once existed with international players is gone, and with the position that (Milicic) plays, he's right in line to take a team that's not on the map and put it there," Eastern Conference GM No. 2 said. "But it would be a pretty big test of someone's conviction in the European market."
An Eastern Conference GM, in "No bracketology needed to know who's No. 1" written by Marc Stein, ESPN.com
"Milicic, who turns 18 on June 20, is considered the best big man in the draft - with the skills to score inside and out - and comes out of the Yugoslavia professional league where most players are in their mid-20s."
MSNBC.com
“I played against older guys, experienced guys,” he said through a translator. “They would pinch me and try to hide the ball from me. I would chop them.”
Darko Milicic, MSNBC.com
"He practices six hours per day with Hemofarm and performs against men nearly twice his age in front of a steady stream of NBA personnel evaluators, who have made Vrsac a regular stop. He is 7-0, 245, a lefthander with a reliable deep stroke and an impressive variety of moves that draw comparisons with Kevin Garnett’s. Milicic has averaged 23.5 minutes, 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for Hemofarm this season."
Sean Deveney, The Sporting News
"A good team is about to get better."
Associated Press, SportsIllustrated.com
“We’ve known about him for a couple of years,” NBA scout Ryan Blake said. “He’s a talented big guy with inside-outside capabilities. He’s left-handed and can play small forward. He has great footwork and solid athletic skills. He’s got range but he can get to the basket. I think you’ll see him a little more inside.”
Associated Press, MSNBC.com
“He’s a talented scorer and rebounder and can pass the ball”
New York Knicks general manager Scott Layden, Associated Press MSNBC.com
http://aol.nba.com/pistons/news/The_...-78462-50.html
Recent quotes on potential draft pick, Darko Milicic
The Word On Darko
“They tried to hold Darko Milicic down in Europe. It didn’t work there – and it’s not going to work here.”
June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“The NBA? The NBA is entertainment. Basketball in Serbia is business.”
Zeljko Lukajic, Head Coach of Hemofarm, Darko Milicic’s premier league team, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“He’s going to own the game. Own the game. We’re going to have to build a new arena. The only thing that could destroy a kid like that is a woman.”
Will Robinson talking about Darko Milicic after seeing him work-out in Detroit, May 30, 2003, ESPN.com
“Milicic grew up in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city. His dad is a burly cop (“All he’s good for is beating people up,” Darko confessed to my advance people); his mother is a 6’3” cleaning lady. The family is poor – an uncle took them in a few years back, only to kick them into the street in a drunken rage.”
Brett Forrest, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“The last time Hemofarm played Buducnost, in Montenegro, the fans threw cell phones at Milicic. When he dunks early on tonight, it is with reprisal on his face. He doesn’t run like a seven-footer. His flesh and bone are proportioned as though by a knowing hand.”
Brett Forrest, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“His game incorporates vast stores of petulance and impatience. He glares at refs. His shoulders sag when calls don’t go his way. He elbows the opposite center in the throat and tosses the ball at another opponent following a whistle. At times, he stalks the court with a leering grin on his face. It may not be the kind of behavior considered classy around here, but that doesn’t really matter: Darko is about to move on.”
Brett Forrest, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“You can’t teach Darko’s lateral quickness or explosiveness. He needs to get a bit stronger, but not too strong, because that quickness gives him a bigger advantage in the post than more strength ever will.”
Arnie Kander, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“Darko really is one of a kind. He runs the floor, handles the ball, shoots an NBA three and plays with his back to the basket. So you can slot him at the 3, 4 or 5. Okay, a few other guys can do that too; what sets Darko apart is his toughness in the post. You’ve got to love a guy who has the footwork to spin by an opponent but still prefers to lower a shoulder and bang. Fact is, Milicic plays in attack mode at both ends of the floor. The more you push, the more he pushes back.”
Chad Ford, ESPN Insider, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“Darko reminds me of a young Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt used to do a little of everything, and I haven’t seen a big man with so much skill since Wilt.”
Will Robinson, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
“The brothers are going to respect him.”
Brett Forrest regarding Darko Milicic, June 23rd Edition, ESPN the Magazine
"The gap that once existed with international players is gone, and with the position that (Milicic) plays, he's right in line to take a team that's not on the map and put it there," Eastern Conference GM No. 2 said. "But it would be a pretty big test of someone's conviction in the European market."
An Eastern Conference GM, in "No bracketology needed to know who's No. 1" written by Marc Stein, ESPN.com
"Milicic, who turns 18 on June 20, is considered the best big man in the draft - with the skills to score inside and out - and comes out of the Yugoslavia professional league where most players are in their mid-20s."
MSNBC.com
“I played against older guys, experienced guys,” he said through a translator. “They would pinch me and try to hide the ball from me. I would chop them.”
Darko Milicic, MSNBC.com
"He practices six hours per day with Hemofarm and performs against men nearly twice his age in front of a steady stream of NBA personnel evaluators, who have made Vrsac a regular stop. He is 7-0, 245, a lefthander with a reliable deep stroke and an impressive variety of moves that draw comparisons with Kevin Garnett’s. Milicic has averaged 23.5 minutes, 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for Hemofarm this season."
Sean Deveney, The Sporting News
"A good team is about to get better."
Associated Press, SportsIllustrated.com
“We’ve known about him for a couple of years,” NBA scout Ryan Blake said. “He’s a talented big guy with inside-outside capabilities. He’s left-handed and can play small forward. He has great footwork and solid athletic skills. He’s got range but he can get to the basket. I think you’ll see him a little more inside.”
Associated Press, MSNBC.com
“He’s a talented scorer and rebounder and can pass the ball”
New York Knicks general manager Scott Layden, Associated Press MSNBC.com
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