"Apologize to that crybaby? Never!" How basketball became Darko Miličić's nightmare: "I was an idiot, and God punished me"

Of course... I grew up with it. Constantly hearing things about myself from people who weren't involved in the story. It's still happening today. Many people try to speak for me, tell stories about me, about who I am and what I like to do, about how my career is over and that I should still be playing basketball. But they never understood what I went through in the NBA. They never realized it was the hardest part of my life. And of course, I couldn't have imagined, when I was 16-17, that basketball would become my nightmare. Because I lived a nightmare.Darko Miličić

I realized it a few years later. That is, when I returned from the NBA. Back then, I talked about people trying to hurt me. But what really happened was that I hurt myself. There are people in life who will give you a chance. There are those who love you and those who don't. There are coaches who will make you play and those who think you're a player... to be discarded! Somewhere they will pave the way for you, or somewhere they won't bother with you. I found a dirt road in front of me! The main problem in America was that I was trying to find a reason why I failed. I wasn't looking in the mirror but at the people around me, thinking they wanted to hurt me! I thought I was so good! That I was perfect, and others wanted to hurt me. I just talked, talked, talked, talked... If I had worked as much as I talked, I would still be playing basketball.Darko Miličić

I was one of the biggest talents there and one of the best young basketball players in Europe. I knew what I could do and I thought I had the world at my feet, but in the end, I wasn't ready. The NBA is a big step, and I think it was too early for me. I thought I was the smartest and most talented. The thought in my head was: 'I have to succeed, I have talent, and I want to succeed.' No! Talent is only 20 percent. If you don't work, you'll remain a talent your whole life. I realized that too late.Darko Miličić

I laughed at people I shouldn't have laughed at. He missed a free throw, and I was dying of laughter on the bench. They told me, 'Don't laugh, he's an All-Star.' I replied, 'He's an All-Star, but he can't score points.' Two years later, it happened to me – I was missing free throws. Ben Wallace is one of the hardest-working basketball players I've ever met, and I, as a young man, who was a jerk, laughed at him. I was an idiot who thought that couldn't happen to me. That's when God punishes you for arrogance.Darko Miličić

Should I apologize to that crybaby? Never! I explained to him that I understand he's a very important player for the team and an All-Star, but I can't accept that he's happy because he has 20 points and 15 rebounds while the team is losing.Darko Miličić

He grabbed me and said, 'You stinker, you smell like ass!' I didn't care, I smelled of alcohol, but I didn't care. I was leaving clubs at seven in the morning, and practice was at nine. I wanted to succeed, but everything went wrong.Darko Miličić