Yugoslav Prospect Eligible for Draft

[David]

February 9, 2003
Yugoslav Prospect Eligible for Draft
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

ATLANTA, Feb. 8 — Commissioner David Stern announced today that the N.B.A. ruled the Yugoslav forward Darko Milicic eligible to enter the N.B.A. draft this year, repealing a bylaw that the players' union was prepared to fight.

Milicic turns 18 on June 20, six days before the draft, and the league ruled that if an international player turned 18 in the calendar year — and not 45 days before the draft — he would be eligible.

Milicic, who has played professionally for three years in Europe, is projected to be the second overall pick behind LeBron James.

"On the basis of the players' support, we've instructed our lawyers to make an agreement that would have the impact to make him eligible," Stern said.

Players domestically are eligible once they have completed high school.


Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company