CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets have added a dynamic athlete to bolster its offensive attack hopefully for years to come.
Brandon Miller was chosen by Charlotte with the second pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday. The Hornets hope to insert Miller as a small forward that can accumulate a lot of points in the coming seasons.
While speculation surrounded whether the Hornets would select Miller or Scoot Henderson, the team's front office says Miller was their favorite all along.
"We think [Miller] is the best player. We feel that [Miller and Henderson] are both excellent players, but he is the one that we feel would have the best NBA career as a Hornet," said Mike Kupchak, Hornets president, in a news conference after the selection.
With Miller set to play in Charlotte, what can fans expect? Here's a breakdown of Miller's background.
Five-star recruit
Before playing for one season at the University of Alabama, Miller was a high-regarded player at Cane Ridge High School in Antioch, Tennessee.
Miller was named Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year during his junior and senior seasons. The award is given to the best player in each state.
His efforts in high school earned him a five-star recruit rating and made him one of the top prospects in the 2022 class.
Freshman standout
Miller chose to attend the University of Alabama, where he played for one year before declaring for the NBA Draft.
During Miller's freshman season, he averaged a conference-high 18.8 points per game and averaged 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Miller was named the SEC Player of the Year at the end of the season as well as the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and the NABC Freshman of the Year.
Alabama would advance to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the third round to San Diego State. Miller did perform great in the tournament, shooting just 19% from the field.
Miller chose to forgo the remainder of his college eligibility to go pro. He was instantly pegged as one of the top choices in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Firearm incident
In February, Alabama police said that Miller brought a gun to teammate Darius Miles that was used in a deadly shooting earlier in the year.
Police said that the gun belonged to Miles, who asked Miller to bring it to him, according to the Associated Press. Miller's attorney said that Miles left it in his car and he had no knowledge of Miles' intention.
Miller did not face charges in the incident. Miles faces a murder charge in an ongoing case.
Controversial GOAT choice?
Miller made headlines days before the draft when he revealed his choice as the greatest basketball player ever.
During an interview on SiriusXM, Miller stated he thinks Paul George, the Los Angeles Clippers forward, is the best player in basketball history. It's a puzzling choice considering most people give the nod to Michael Jordan or LeBron James.
Miller doubled down on his comments when asked about it again after being selected by the Hornets.
“I think I’ve made it clear these past few days that Paul George is my GOAT," said Miller. "The GOAT of basketball is LeBron (James). Paul George is still my GOAT of basketball. Mike is definitely up there in his prime."
Miller noted during his SiriusXM interview that he traded some spirited trash-talk with Jordan during his workouts with the Hornets.
No matter Miller's favorite player, the Hornets hope he can turn into a bright star and bring the team to winning ways. Charlotte has missed the postseason a league-leading seven years in a row and has not advanced past the first round since 2002.
