Ben Wallace Makes Stunning Carmelo Anthony Claim About the Pistons’ 2004 Championship
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Pistons had a chance to draft Carmelo Anthony in 2003. However, they went in a different direction and used their No. 2 pick to draft Serbian former basketball player Darko Milicic. In the meantime, the Denver Nuggets chose Anthony with the third overall pick.
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It didn’t work out for Milicic. He failed to meet expectations and is considered to be one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. Fortunately for the Pistons, they were competitive and won the 2004 title, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
The Pistons achieved their goal, but drafting Anthony remains one of the biggest “what ifs” in league history. On Sunday’s episode of the “2 Bright Guys” podcast, former NBA star Ben Wallace made a stunning claim about what would have happened if his former team had drafted the former Syracuse star.
Apr 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Former NBA forward Carmelo Anthony waves to the crowd during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs between the against the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images“If we would’ve drafted Carmelo, I honestly don’t think we would’ve ever won a championship,” Wallace said. “Melo would’ve wanted to play right away. It would’ve had the potential to disrupt the team chemistry. By drafting Darko, Darko was the guy who came in and said, ‘‘I can’t play on this team. I’m not ready to play on this team. Who am I going to play in front of?’”
Ben Wallace says the Pistons would’ve never won an NBA championship had they drafted Carmelo Anthony instead of Darko Milicic
“If we would've drafted Carmelo, I honestly don't think we would’ve ever won a championship. Melo would've wanted to play right away. It would've had the… pic.twitter.com/eVv001a6Fw
— dank (@cptdankkk) September 13, 2026
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year said Milicic accepted a role Carmelo Anthony would not have been okay with. In their rookie season, the Serbian former player appeared in 34 regular-season games, averaging 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds. In the playoffs, he played eight games, including three straight appearances in the NBA Finals.
Anthony, meanwhile, led the Nuggets with 21.0 points and 6.1 rebounds. Denver also made the postseason that year and was eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
Carmelo Anthony Said the Pistons Promised to Draft Him
Carmelo Anthony said that the Detroit Pistons promised to draft him ahead of the 2003 draft. Anthony appeared on “All the Smoke” podcast in 2021 and told the story of how the Pistons told him about wanting to pick him.
“To this day, I still think about that. I’m like, they promised me,” he said.
Melo was 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 to be drafted by the Pistons
He believes that decision changed the course of his career. #ATS100 | @carmeloanthonypic.twitter.com/vof21kguTH
— ALL THE SMOKE (@allthesmokeprod) August 17, 2021
He also believes the Pistons could’ve gone back-to-back if he were part of the roster.
“You know what I’m saying? ‘We taking you.’ I’m talking about all the way up to draft day, you understand? ‘We taking you.’ So, in my mind, I’m like, ‘I’m going to Detroit.’ …They won it and I’m like, ‘Ah, my luck.’ If I’m there, I think they win another one. I think we go back-to-back if I’m there.”
Unfortunately for Anthony, things did not go his way, and he never won a title in his 19-year career.
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