Chauncey Billups discusses the Pistons drafting Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony
Remember when the Pistons had the second pick in the 2003 NBA draft? Remember when they deemed it'd be a better choice to draft Darko Milicic with that selection instead of Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony? That must eat up Anthony even to this day.
Former Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups went on the always entertaining ESPN show Highly Questionable to talk with Dan Le Batard and Bomani Jones. Naturally, they asked him about his thoughts on Detroit taking Milicic over Melo. Dan Feldman explains the interaction over at Piston Powered:
Making an appearance on the same show, Chauncey Billups was much more honest – with viewers, at least.
Billups copped to being impressed with Darko’s workout (which Hamilton omitted), but he correctly noted the workout shouldn’t have been enough. You can learn much more about a player by watching him in a game.
Eventually, Papi asked Billups whether Carmelo Anthony gave him a hard time about the Pistons drafting Darko while Billups and Melo played for the Nuggets:
Yes, he did. I said, “Melo, I’m not the one that did it. I would have took you every day.”
Bomani Jones gave Billups a hard time about twisting the truth with Melo, and a good time was had by all. This was a lot more fun than Hamilton trying to make himself look smarter than everyone else when he really wasn’t. (There are enough times Hamilton is smarter than the pack that he should just stick to those.)
If you want to watch the whole interview (highly recommended), you can see it here:
Le Batard is one of the best interviewers in the business. Somehow, he elicits candor from seemingly every player he talks with. This one is no different. If you have some free time, browse through the YouTube channels to find his ones with Steven Jackson or Jerry Stackhouse. They're wonderful and hilarious, as are most of his segments.
(H/t to Dan Feldman at Piston Powered.)
Photo Credit: David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
