December 11, 2003 - Heading into an early season matchup with the only member of the 2003 draft class selected ahead of him (LeBron James), 18-year-old Detroit Pistons center Darko Milicic had yet to officially register an NBA basket. Twenty-two games into the 2003-04 season, Milicic had made just eight appearances (approximately 17 cumulative minutes of action) and was 0-3 from the field.

Of course, Milicic was also the only member of the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery to be selected and immediately stashed on the bench for the duration of his rookie campaign. Under the unique circumstances of being a No. 2 overall pick on an Eastern Conference Finalist competing for an NBA championship at a time when the G-League (then known as the NBDL) was in its infancy, Milicic was caught in basketball purgatory, not experienced enough to meaningfully contribute to a championship contender but with nowhere to go in order to further develop his craft.

Steve Kerr, meanwhile, was one month into his first post-retirement gig as a color commentator for the NBA on TNT. Having stepped away from the game following his fifth NBA championship the previous June, Kerr weighed in on Milicic's future prospects. Despite using effusive language like "amazed" and "stunning" in describing Milicic, Kerr's praise pales in comparison to that of many fellow analysts, scouts, and GM's. For more on the Darko hyperbole: [ Ссылка ]

Recommended 20-minute Mini-Doc on Milicic: [ Ссылка ]

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