Counterattack
1. In the summer of 2004, Darko Milicic invited his old friend to Detroit. At that time, he was selected as the second pick by the Pistons, higher than Anthony, Bosh and Wade. Despite this, Milicic's rookie season was terrible. Although the Pistons won the NBA championship that season, Milicic averaged only 1.4 points per game and played less than 5 minutes per game. He had difficulty integrating into the new environment and had poor contact with new teammates. Therefore, he preferred to interact with old friends. Among them was Nemanja Jokic. He had been a teammate with Milicic since he was 16 years old. Nemanja was very interested in the United States and wanted to play in college there. Therefore, after receiving Milicic's invitation, he quickly arrived in the United States and moved into Milicic's apartment. It was also because of this relationship that he chose the University of Detroit as his first stop in the American basketball world. "Suddenly, I broke into the life of NBA players," Nemanja said. "I have been attending all kinds of extravagant parties." In addition, he witnessed Milicic buying luxury houses, luxury cars, yachts and countless toys in Detroit. It was a feeling of being in the clouds, so beautiful that you didn't have time to think whether it was real. The happy days lasted for a year and a half. Milicic was traded to the Magic, and Nemanja was forced to leave the mansion and move back to the small dormitory. At the University of Detroit, Nemanja played as a substitute for three seasons, and then began his career as a basketball vagabond, mixing in various minor leagues. "I made too many mistakes," he said. "When I was young, I was only interested in having fun. Wine and women were my favorites, and basketball had to stand aside. I even decided on my own not to participate in training. I lost myself." His friends were the same. After leaving the Pistons, Milicic was kicked by the Magic like a ball to the Grizzlies, then the Knicks and the Timberwolves. On the court, he became a full-time player guarding the water dispenser, and his most eye-catching performance was yelling at the referee or coach. Milicic has been gaining weight. In his career, he has never averaged more than 8.8 points per game in a season. "There was too much pressure on him," Nemanja said. "And he put too much pressure on himself. I think his lifestyle eventually ruined him. No one ever told him that luxury cars and mansions were not what he needed most." In the 2012-13 season, Milicic finished his last NBA season with the Celtics. At the same time, Nemanja also ended his wandering in the American basketball world. Seven years later, Nemanja returned to his hometown of Sombor for the first time and reunited with his two brothers for the first time. The eldest brother Strahinja looked the same, except that he had become a professional basketball player in the Serbian national league. As for the younger brother Nikola, Nemanja was a little unfamiliar. Nikola was only 10 years old when he left his hometown. In Nemanja's memory, Nikola was still the child who was frightened into silence by his eldest brother with a knife. "Once, he (Strhinja) grabbed my arm and stabbed the knife to the side of my head." Nikola recalled. It was all because Nikola didn't listen to his older brother during a picnic. "Now that I think about it, it's crazy." Now Nikola is 17 years old and much taller than his two brothers. He likes basketball, but he is also interested in football, water polo, volleyball and light car racing. However, his weight is a problem. Even Nikola's physical trainer would describe his student as fat. Every day, Nikola can drink 3 liters of Coke and eat tooth-sweet cheese pie for breakfast. When Nikola signed his first professional player contract with the team in New Belgrade, the 7-foot big man weighed 300 pounds and couldn't even do a push-up. "He just used basketball as a tool for fun," Nemanja said. Nikola likes to stand in a high position and pass the ball to his teammates close to the opponent's ear. In addition, he plays half-court three-on-three games because this way he doesn't have to be out of breath due to offense and defense transitions. "The first time I saw him play after I came back, he always made some behind-the-back passes that others would never do," Nemanja said. "But others are happy for him to do so because everyone knows that this kid is really good at this trick." But no matter what, this cannot hide the fact that Nikola is a fat man. From the perspective of a basketball player, he needs to lose weight, quit carbonated drinks, and beat his body. And for some reason, Nemanja saw the shadow of Milicic before he went to the NBA in his brother. Past experience told him that Nikola should take basketball seriously. Only in this way can his career have a different ending.
