When the Detroit Pistons chose Darko Milicic in the 2003 NBA draft, some fans were upset that they passed up Carmelo Anthony.
Obviously, Anthony went on to be an NBA staple and one of the greatest players of his generation, but one Pistons icon believes his team made the right choice.
Ben Wallace feels that the Pistons would have never won a championship if they had drafted Anthony over Milicic.
“Melo, would have wanted to play right away. It would have had the potential to disrupt the team chemistry. By drafting Darko Milicic, he was a guy that came in and said, I can’t play on this team. I’m not ready to play on this team. Who am I going to play in front of? I’m not ready. By him doing that and accepting his role, it allowed us to build, grow and get stronger. An eventuality win a championship…If we would drafted Melo, Tayshaun Prince would have never blossomed and be the type of player that he became. We won a championship off the back of the best block that I have ever seen in my life. (Prince blocking Reggie Miller, GM 2 ECF) and I blocked a lot of shots. That’s that type of grit and grind our team was,” Wallace said.
Ben Wallace says the Pistons never win a title if they draft Carmelo Anthony over Darko Miličić
"Melo, would have wanted to play right away. It would have had the potential to disrupt the team chemistry. By drafting Darko Milicic, he was a guy that came in and said, I can't play… pic.twitter.com/0SawwFvHst
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 22, 2025
Anthony might have been the bigger name, but Wallace doesn’t think he was the perfect fit.
The team needed someone who was willing to take a lesser role, develop, and help out by any means necessary.
During his rookie year, Milicic averaged 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds, earning just 4.7 minutes on the court during his 34 games.
He didn’t play a lot, but he accepted his position, and that laid the groundwork for the lineup that would soon claim a title.
The Pistons team of the era was very specific and filled with numerous role players who didn’t want to hog the limelight.
Yes, they could have acquired Anthony and created more headlines, but that wasn’t right for them.
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