On July 17 at noon, we will witness an All-Star player clash between the USA and Serbia in Abu Dhabi for the exhibition game. However, apart from NBA players like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nikola Jokic, Serbia features a 7-foot-tall basketball center that is an NBA ghost. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? The 29-year-old Serbian center Nikola Milutinov, a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA draft, has never stepped onto an NBA court. Notably, it was the San Antonio Spurs that picked the Serbian player but never got the chance to utilize him.

Did they mistakenly choose him, or was the player not productive enough to be even allowed on the court from the Spurs’ end? Let’s dive deep into the basketball history of this 7-foot giant.

Why did the San Antonio Spurs snub 7ft star Nikola Milutinov?

The center Nikola Milutinov was the 26th overall pick for the Spurs. It isn’t like the front office just picked him randomly; they had their own reasons for picking up the Serbian player. Milutinov could have been a great backup for the Spurs, who were building their roster around Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge then. However, the reason behind the unexpected ignorance might not be rooted in Milutinov. In fact, it is speculated to be connected to the Spurs assistant GM Sean Marks, who may have contributed to drafting Milutinov.

Unfortunately, Marks left the Spurs in 2016, being replaced by new assistant GM Brian Wright. And since Marks was not there to support his rookie pick, the team might have moved on from the 29-year-old. During an interview, even Milutinov addressed this issue in 2020, stating, “They were never serious about taking me, and I can’t go there by myself.” Apparently, there is another theory about Milutinov’s “serious” remark that Spurs were not awarding him what he wanted.

Nonetheless, even if the Spurs did not value the center, his fellow national teammate and 3xNBA MVP Nikola Jokic highly regarded his Serbian teammate.

How did Nikola Jokic endorse Nikola Milutinov?

Due to most of his career being in the NBA, Nikola Jokic never really got the chance to play more in Europe. That’s why he failed to engage on the court in EuroLeague basketball. He appeared in the Serbian League in 2012 but was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2014, making him an NBA rookie at the age of 19. Although he supports his compatriots and friends who play in the EuroLeague, the most prominent of whom is Nikola Milutinov, who he mentioned during a chat with Eurohoops in March of this year.

When he was asked which four teams would make it to the top four this year in the EuroLeague, Joker mentioned Milutinov, saying, “I would take Olympiacos because of my friend Nikola Milutinov. I enjoy watching him play; he’s supposed to be in the NBA, but he likes it over there.” It is worth noting that Milutinov scored 12 points and 5 rebounds from the Serbian end despite facing a defeat against the Boomers in Etihad Arena yesterday.

Also, on an international level, the Serbian center has appeared 2 times in the FIBA World Cup. Milutinov added his 13.3 points and 10.3 rebounds average in the 3 games he played last year for the Serbian team’s 2023 FIBA silver medal run. So it is evident that despite not playing among the vets like the NBA, Nikola Milutinov will definitely create hurdles in the middle for the USA team with his international experience. What strategy will Team USA devise to get past Joker’s 7-foot-tall friend? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, though, be sure to check this video of Leonard Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe. Don’t forget to check back in for more such updates from our ES Fancast!