What is Darko Miličić's Net Worth?
Darko Milicic is a former Serbian professional basketball player who has a net worth of $20 million. During his NBA career, Darko Milicic earned $52 million in NBA salary. His highest-paying season was 2009-2010 when he earned $7.5 million from the Minnesota Grizzlies.
Darko Miličić played for various teams in the NBA from 2003 to 2012. With the Detroit Pistons in 2004, he won an NBA championship title. Following his stint with the team, which saw little significant playing time, Miličić played for the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Boston Celtics.
Early Life
Darko Miličić was born on June 20, 1985 in Novi Sad in what was then the Socialist Republic of Serbia in Yugoslavia to Zora and Milorad. He has a sister named Tijana who became a volleyball player. Miličić played basketball as a youth in BFC Beočin and Sports World; when he was 14, he began playing with the junior team of the club Hemofarm.
Detroit Pistons
In the 2003 NBA draft, Miličić was chosen with the second overall pick by the Detroit Pistons. Although Miličić saw limited playing time in his first season, the Pistons went all the way to the 2004 NBA Finals and won the championship over the Los Angeles Lakers. In the process, Miličić became the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA Finals, at just under 19 years of age, as well as the youngest to win an NBA championship title. Despite the big win – and promises from Pistons president Joe Dumars that Miličić would play a critical role in the team's future – Miličić continued to see little playing time over the subsequent seasons. He averaged only 5.6 minutes per game, and only saw significant playing time in the Pistons' blowout wins or losses.
Orlando Magic
In early 2006, Miličić was traded to the Orlando Magic. With the team, he made it to the 2006-07 playoffs. After that, Miličić was made an unrestricted free agent following the expiration of his rookie contract.
Memphis Grizzlies
On the first day of his free agency in the summer of 2007, Miličić was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies to a three-year contract. He started the ensuing season at power forward, but was moved to the bench due to poor playing. Although he regained his starting role in December of 2008, Miličić was soon hampered by a hand injury. Frustrated with his time playing for the Grizzlies, he often punched the walls in his house after arriving home from games.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
New York Knicks
Miličić was traded to the New York Knicks in the summer of 2009. He played less than one season with the team, during which time he stated that he was planning to leave the NBA and return to playing in Europe.
Minnesota Timberwolves
In February of 2010, Miličić was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. His first season with the team was, statistically, the best of his career, as he averaged 8.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and two blocks per game. In a game against the Golden State Warriors in December, he recorded a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds. Miličić began the 2011-12 season as the Timberwolves' starting center, and in January recorded a season-high 22 points in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. However, as the season progressed, his playing time diminished. Miličić was ultimately waived by the team in the summer of 2012.
Boston Celtics
Miličić signed with the Boston Celtics in September of 2012. He played one game with the team, a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, before he was released by request in late November. In June of 2013, Miličić announced his retirement from the NBA.
International Playing
On the global stage, Miličić played for the FR Yugoslavia U16 national team that won the 2001 European Cadet Championships. In 2006, he led Serbia and Montenegro in the FIBA World Championship, and in 2007 played for Serbia in the FIBA EuroBasket.
Post-NBA Career
The year after Miličić's retirement from the NBA, he became a professional kickboxer. He made his official debut under WAKO rules in his hometown of Novi Sad, losing his fight to Radovan Radojčin. In 2019, Miličić returned to basketball when he joined the amateur basketball club I Came to Play in Novi Sad.
Among his other post-NBA activities, Miličić does farming in Serbia. He owns and operates an apple orchard spanning around 125 acres.
Personal Life
In 2009, Miličić married fashion designer Zorana Markuš. Together, they have two sons and a daughter.
A staunch Serbian nationalist, Miličić supports the far-right Ravna Gora movement in Serbia. In 2013, he advocated for far-right politician and convicted war criminal Vojislav Šešelj.
