Auburn Hills, UNITED STATES, July 29 (AP) - Darko Milicic's European team has sued his
American agent, seeking at least $10 million in damages for encouraging
the Detroit Pistons' draft pick to pursue an NBA career.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in New York, Hemofarm
Vrsac says agent Marc Cornstein and Pinnacle
Management Corp. interfered with Milicic's
European contract. Milicic has played for
Hemofarm since 2000, and the club says it has
him under contract through 2009.
"Despite their knowledge of Milicic's contract with
Hemofarm, (Cornstein and Pinnacle) began
advertising Milicic to NBA teams and the public at large as a player
available to be selected in the 2003 NBA draft," the lawsuit says.
Hemofarm says it trained Milicic in its youth basketball program, paid for
Milicic's room and board, and arranged employment for his mother at
pharmaceutical company Hemofarm Group, which sponsors the team. It
says Pinnacle ignored those investments in Milicic.
Natasha Cornstein, the wife and spokeswoman of Milicic's agent, said
Monday evening they had not seen the lawsuit.
"We're unaware of any legal proceedings and we're shocked by this
development," Cornstein said. "We have worked tirelessly with Hemofarm
and the Pistons to reach an amicable solution and we remain optimistic that
this will resolve swiftly.
Cornstein said Pinnacle has worked with international players for six years.
"We've been down this road many many times," she said. "We have always
reached a positive outcome for our players."
Besides $10 million in punitive damages, Hemofarm also seeks an
undetermined amount of compensatory and other damages plus legal fees.
"Hemofarm has attempted to negotiate with Pinnacle and clear the way for
Darko to start his NBA career," Robert Lanza, one of the lawyers
representing Hemofarm, said in a statement. "But Pinnacle refused to join in
a good faith effort toward a resolution."
NBA teams are not prevented from drafting players under contract to foreign
teams, but league rules stipulate an NBA team can pay no more than
$350,000 toward buying out a contract. Under the pay scale for rookies,
Milicic looks to earn about $11 million over three years in the NBA.
The 18-year-old center from Serbia and Montenegro was the No. 2 overall
pick in last month's NBA draft. When Hemofarm earlier threatened a suit,
Pinnacle said Hemofarm was trying to pressure Milicic but wouldn't derail
his NBA dream.
On Monday, Marc Cornstein told the Detroit Free Press that there had been
"very good progress" in talks between Milicic and Hemofarm during the past
few days.
Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg said the team had no comment.
