It looks like Darko Milicic will be leaving the Celtics and heading back to Europe, according to Doc Rivers’ quotes from the Dennis and Callahan radio show this morning. While I think this has little to no effect on the team from a basketball perspective, it’s kind of sad from a fan perspective. It was fun to hope for the reincarnation of one of the biggest draft busts of all time (Darko was picked #2 overall in 2003, right after Lebron, and just before #3 Carmelo Anthony, #4 Chris Bosh, and #5 Dwayne Wade). I liked having a big funny looking European guy wearing #99 on the end of the bench, it reminded me of Stojko Vrankovic in the early 90′s. Darko also gave us amusing stories about killing people to help the team, and his hatred for Boston traffic.
But most of all, I’m pissed because I saw this coming last week. While at the game on Saturday the C’s were blowing out the Raptors, and Doc had emptied his bench; except for Darko. This seemed odd to me, and as I peered down at him there, I could tell something was off. In fact, I even wrote this in an email to some of my colleagues the next day:
”Watching Darko on the bench late in the 4th quarter at the Garden yesterday it looked like he knew there was zero chance he was playing, even though they we’re up 20. He was sitting back with his legs out, almost bored, uninvolved in the game. Not sure what this means, but it’s not a good sign.”
If only I’d published it then… I also have a feeling there’s more to this story than we know right now.
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