Chapter 392: Mili Xiqi and Huaiti Seda

Mili Xiqi is the NBA's greatest tragedy.

He was given great hope before entering the league; he was the youngest player in the 2003 class, younger than the Little Emperor James, and was only 17 when he entered the league. At that time he was full of limitless possibilities, and everyone thought he would become the next super star.

In fact, if James did not have a uniquely advantageous position, had another team gotten the top pick, Mili Xiqi would have had a chance to enter the NBA as the number one.

And if Mili Xiqi had not been selected by the Detroit Pistons with the second overall pick in 2003, his career would have been much more wonderful.

The 14‑year‑old center who represented Serbia at the youth world championship possessed extreme talent at the time; on one hand he was called the white‑skin version of Garnett, praising his defensive gifts. On the other hand he was regarded as the next Nowitzki or Gasol, because he stood 216 cm, weighed 111 kg, could shoot with both hands, had strong interior explosiveness, could handle the ball almost as a point guard, and even had outside three‑point shooting ability.

With such a scouting report, no one would refuse him.

After all, domestic interior talent in the United States was dwindling severely at the time. His predecessors: Yao Ming, Nowitzki, and Gasol had all achieved decent success in the NBA.

Therefore, a player so young and so gifted received unprecedented attention.

In the end, he was chosen by the Pistons, and the nightmare began.

The Pistons were able to obtain the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft because of a trade with the Grizzlies five years earlier. They were both lucky and unlucky. Had they used the second pick to select Ke Li Si Bo Shen, perhaps the result would have pleased everyone, because they needed a big man who could hit mid‑range shots, and Ke Li Si Bo Shen happened to excel at that. This is also why they later traded for Rashid Wallace from the Trail Blazers and won the championship that season.

Mili Xiqi's misfortunes are manyfold.

He was very young, had lived his whole life in praise, and his mental toughness was far below the intensity required for a professional league. Moreover, he encountered the NBA's most strict and rigid head coach; Larry Brown demanded extremely high tactical execution, and a single mistake would draw harsh criticism. And at that time the Pistons were a championship‑contending team, unable to give a rookie many opportunities.

Most importantly, Mili Xiqi couldn't even speak English at the time, so he couldn't understand what the coach was saying.

Then he was relegated to the far end of the bench, becoming a human celebration prop, only getting pitiful minutes when the team held a large lead.

He could only combat the long emptiness by piercing his ears and dyeing his hair, and Larry Brown despised such behavior; during that period, the suddenly millionaire Mili Xiqi often caused off‑court tabloid news.

This made Larry Brown reach his limit, and their relationship nearly broke.

Back then, Rashid Wallace once said, "Don't expect this kid to make it in Detroit; I mean, a normal human couldn't develop in that environment."

Mili Xiqi spent the early part of his career under Larry Brown's verbal abuse and suppression; his talent was drained on the long bench, and his love for basketball waned.

Later he was traded to Orlando, where he followed the young No. 1 pick Dwight Howard as a cautious blue‑collar. He was then sent to the Grizzlies, where he learned to do the dirty, hard work, and subsequently ended up with the Timberwolves.

Frankly, he performed reasonably well with the Timberwolves.

In his pitiful minutes, he averaged about eight points and close to six rebounds. Those numbers came while playing alongside Kevin Love and Michael Beasley… Kevin Love, during his Timberwolves stint, was the player most eager to pad statistics.

He tried to chase 20+20 or 30+20 each game; in fact he was not a qualified rebounder, but his stats were always impressive.

Mili Xiqi and Kevin Love clashed: this was probably the only thing he learned in Detroit, that he valued team victory more.

Thus, he was cast out.

He was notified this summer that his contract would not be renewed, making him a complete free agent.

He grew disheartened, no longer wanting to play basketball; he had lost his love for the game and wanted to practice boxing or return home to become a farmer.

This once‑God‑favored basketball prodigy is now despondent and wants to completely distance himself from basketball.

However, at this point Boston extended an olive branch, hoping he would come for a tryout.

His agent, however, preferred that he gain the favor of the Los Angeles Clippers; the agent believes Mili Xiqi still has a chance, and only Fan Xi can rescue his career.

After all, after all the twists and turns over the years, Mili Xiqi is still only 25.

At 25, a center is far from reaching the point of being sealed in a coffin.

…

Huaiti Seda, like Fan Xi, was drafted in 2010, but his starting point was a bit better; Fan Xi was undrafted, while Huaiti Seda was selected in the second round, 33rd overall.

He was cut by the Kings this year.

The reason is simple: he adds no value and his offensive contribution is almost negative.

Huaiti Seda's physical attributes are outstanding; he stands 213 cm with a 231 cm wingspan, and was a dominant interior finisher in college. Although he didn't play in the NCAA Division I, many excellent blue‑collars have emerged from lower leagues, such as Dennis Rodman and Charles Oakley.

But such a comeback story clearly did not happen for Huaiti Seda.

After being eliminated by the Kings, he immediately contacted various teams for tryouts. As an NBA fringe player, his days are filled with anxiety, he feels very lost about his future and doesn't know where his next stop will be or what his path is.

His agent arranged many overseas league contacts; if he can't get an NBA chance, he will most likely join an overseas league rather than play in the NBDL, although the NBDL offers easier NBA exposure—if a team lacks players, he could step in promptly. But NBDL salaries are too low, far less than overseas leagues.

Attending the Clippers tryout is his last shot.

He has heard Fan Xi's story; Fan Xi has always been his inspiration, and he also hopes one day to perform a miracle like Fan Xi.

So he happily arrived at the training camp, having learned beforehand that he would compete with Mili Xiqi for a contract spot with the Clippers.

…