Darko Miličić Quotes

I said okay, but just not Memphis. Anywhere but there. And, of course, I went to Memphis.

I thought as a kid that talent was God-given, but it’s not. God gives you talent and you should use that talent with the real meaning of that word. I was stubborn. Maybe being young had something to do with it.

My experience in the NBA was a catastrophe, because I’m a born winner. I don’t like losing, even in card games.

It is not necessary to judge and ridicule when, thank God, you have not passed the path that I have. To them, as always, I wish everyone good and every honor on their careers and in further life a lot of success and less condemnation.

It’s all funny to me. I finally get a chance to play and [Dikembe Mutombo] starts taunting me and daring me to fight. Why would I need that? I didn’t understand half of what he said. I mean, he's been there [in the U.S.] 20 years and still doesn’t know the [English] language well enough. Nobody in particular annoyed me, but Kobe Bryant is the dirtiest player with the things he does on the court... But without a doubt he is a beast. He was amazing.

I don’t miss basketball. I live very well, thank God. I have my interests, interests in agriculture.

I kind of feel like Old Darko died. Like, when I think about myself, or myself when I was playing, I feel like I’m sort of thinking about someone who is dead.

I’d do a lot of things differently now. It’s true I ended up on a team trying to win a ring, which rarely happens to a No. 2 pick, but in the end we’re all looking for excuses. I could say I didn’t get a proper chance, but that’s simply an excuse; it’s up to a young player to prove himself, work hard and wait for his chance. My approach was completely different. As a No. 2 pick coming from Europe, I thought I was sent by God, so I got into fights, got drunk before practices, spiting everyone, but I was spiting myself.

We are not kids, we are adults. I hope you are old enough to understand that life is full of ups and downs.