Per a report from NBA Serbia, Darko Milicic, the former NBA center selected no. 2 overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft, has announced his intentions to pursue a career in professional kickboxing. The 29-year-old Serbian is most famous for being selected behind LeBron James and ahead of future All-Stars like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. Though Milicic was a highly regarded prospect coming into the draft, he was often sorely outmatched by NBA competition, falling short in both shooting and physicality. He officially retired from the league in June of 2013.
Milicic is still young by NBA standards—he should be in the middle of his prime right now—but it appears that his (relative) athletic talents will not go to waste.
Still, however, Milicic has to be regarded as one of the biggest and strangest busts in NBA history. The Serbian product was known for being somewhat reclusive, and his most notable year in the league produced a stat line of 8.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.0 BPG. He wasn't exactly an All-Star. Hopefully, he'll fare better in the ring than he did on the court.
[via Extra Mustard]
