Andre Miller stayed in the NBA for 17 years, although, according to his own statement, he “did not have the physical conditions”. SPOX spoke to one of the best point guards of his time about his career, lack of esteem and the nickname “Professor”.
What bothers him about Advanced Metrics – and why he is sometimes very critical of today’s contracts.
SPOX: Mr. Miller, there have been so many nicknames in the NBA’s history – but only a few of them fit in with the player as well as the “professor” in your country. How did you actually get the name?
Andre Miller: To be honest, I didn’t like the name at all in the beginning. But it has somehow become established in the last years of my career. I’m not at all sure who the name comes from, but for the first time I heard it when I played in Washington – someone in the audience always shouted “Professor, Professor”when I had the ball. Of course, my team mates also heard that and called me that in the Locker Room – and that’s what they did. In the beginning I didn’t think it was so funny, but nowadays I think it’s cool that everyone associates me with the term professor.
SPOX: What did you find disturbing in the beginning?
Miller: It just sounded like I was already a pensioner or I was lecturing somewhere in college – just because I was a little bit older. (laughs) I might have misunderstood the meaning at the beginning. You say yes, that you like the name: What does it mean to you?
SPOX: I would have said now that this means that you were never the most athletic or fastest player, but you got your points and assists through intelligence and creativity.
Miller: Yes, I can also live with the definition. (laughs) That’s how I would see it myself. Since I wasn’t physically fit, I had to use my brain and in every situation I had to try to gain some kind of advantage and exploit the angles. In that respect, I was a professor of my own accord.
SPOX: Especially in the last few years you could get the impression that you could go all the way back to old age – like Uncle Drew in real life. When did you realize that it was time to end your career?
Miller: For quite a while now, I’ve had the plan in mind that I wanted to play until I was 40 years old. Either that or 20 seasons, that was my goal. I made it to 40 and I would have had the opportunity to complete the 20[Miller played 17 seasons in the NBA, d. Red.]. But I noticed that I wanted to withdraw slowly and take care of family matters. It was time to do something else and that was the right decision. At that time I had devoted almost my whole life to basketball and that’s why I was very happy with what I achieved.
SPOX: Your last NBA game is almost two years ago – what do you miss the most?
Miller: The hanging. Simply this comradeship, which arises from the fact that you are on the road together all the time – a special bond is created, not only with the other players, but with the entire organization, especially during away trips. You’re always surrounded by people. Then you quit – and that’s it! If you don’t take care of the fact that contact remains, then it’s all gone. I am still in contact with some people, but of course not all of them, that would not be possible. This came automatically through the NBA’s daily routine and through the whole routine. I miss that already.
SPOX: You have played for an extremely large number of teams in completely different situations. They have played for playoff teams, but also for teams in the rebuild. What was the best time for you with a total of 9 different teams?
Miller: They all had their charm – also because they presented completely different challenges. In Cleveland I learned from veterans like Brevin Knight or Shawn Kemp as a young player, and after that I was a veteran at every station – at the Clippers, in Denver, Philly and elsewhere. In Philly, for example, we had one of the youngest teams and there were no expectations, but I’m proud of the time, because we reached the playoffs and I could show young players like Kyle Korver, Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala a little bit more. As I said, all these situations had their own charm.
SPOX: What are you proud of when you look back on your career?
Miller: First of all, that I kept fit and was always ready – I played the complete 82 games of a season eight times. And in every team I have played for, I’ve been a player who has made an important contribution, apart from perhaps my last two or three years. I have earned the respect of the coaches and my fellow players time and again, although I have often been uprooted.
SPOX: When you address respect – do you feel that your career is being valued appropriately? Before preparing for this interview, I didn’t know, for example, that you were in the All-Time Top 10 with the Assists.
Miller: I honestly don’t care about that. Whether everyone thinks that I was one of the better point guards of my time doesn’t really matter to me. I’m content with my teammates and opponents knowing. They’re the ones that matter. If one of them says that I’m one of the most underrated players of my time, it’s enough for me in terms of satisfaction. The NBA is entertainment and also a popularity contest – of course not everyone gets the same kind of appreciation from fans. Especially when you’re not playing so spectacularly. But I understood that early on.
SPOX: What has changed most in your 17 years of NBA?
Miller: One has to name the number of tried threesomes first. When I started in 1999, it would have been unthinkable to shoot so much from outside. But today these litters are not only tried, but also hit much better. So it’s a good thing in itself, especially since the fans like to see it and the fast game is also well received. However, many fans also want to see physical, tight basketball – which is sometimes a bit undervalued today. The development can therefore be good and bad at the same time.
SPOX: Did you prefer the early 2000s basketball?
Miller: Oh, I actually like both. I love watching old-school basketball, the isolation-heavy game of the’ 90s that I grew up with. But it’s also fun to watch someone throwing a threesome and hitting everything (laughs) It reminds you of a video game – you shouldn’t underestimate what people like Stephen Curry are up to right now. And it is simply spectacular, which inspires me as a spectator.
Page 1: Andre Miller about his nickname and his long NBA career
Page 2: Andre Miller on the evolution of point guards and the harmful role of analytics