The Phoenix Suns are going through a tough 2024-25 season. Currently they’re 30-35 on the season, good enough for 11th in the Western Conference. However, there are some things bigger than basketball.
Today it was announced that one former Phoenix starter has passed away.
Breaking: Former Suns Starter Passes Away (Report)
In his nine seasons in the NBA, Oliver Miller played for six teams, according to the National Basketball Retired Players Association. He has recently passed away:
Phoenix Suns broadcaster Eddie Johnson first reported Miller’s death.
I am so sad to report we have lost another @NBA Fraternity member! Nine year veteran Oliver Miller has passed away at age 54! Going to miss you Big O. 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿. RIP
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) March 12, 2025
A Fort Worth, Texas native, Miller was selected 22nd overall in the 1992 NBA Draft after four years at Arkansas. Playing under Naismith Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson and alongside fellow first-rounders Todd Day and Lee Mayberry, he helped begin a golden age of Razorbacks basketball, leading the program to three straight SEC regular season and tournament titles and the 1990 Final Four.
As an NBA player, Miller played for the Suns, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He was a rookie on the 1992-93 Suns team that reached the NBA Finals and ran into Michael Jordan.
Here is a look at Miller’s career stats:
| Season | Age | Team | Lg | Pos | G | GS | Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 22 | PHO | NBA | C | 56 | 1 | 19.1 | 2.2 | 4.6 | .475 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 2.2 | 4.5 | .480 | .475 | 1.3 | 1.8 | .710 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 5.6 | |
| 1993-94 | 23 | PHO | NBA | C | 69 | 30 | 25.9 | 4.0 | 6.6 | .609 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .222 | 4.0 | 6.5 | .617 | .611 | 1.2 | 2.0 | .584 | 2.0 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 9.2 | |
| 1994-95 | 24 | DET | NBA | PF | 64 | 22 | 24.3 | 3.6 | 6.5 | .555 | 0.0 | 0.2 | .231 | 3.6 | 6.3 | .565 | .559 | 1.2 | 1.9 | .629 | 2.5 | 4.9 | 7.4 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 8.5 | |
| 1995-96 | 25 | TOR | NBA | PF | 76 | 72 | 33.1 | 5.5 | 10.5 | .526 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 5.5 | 10.3 | .533 | .526 | 1.9 | 2.9 | .661 | 2.3 | 5.1 | 7.4 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 12.9 | |
| 1996-97 | 26 | 2TM | NBA | C | 61 | 8 | 18.9 | 2.0 | 3.9 | .517 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.0 | 3.9 | .521 | .517 | 0.8 | 1.3 | .608 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 4.8 | |
| 1996-97 | 26 | DAL | NBA | C | 42 | 0 | 19.9 | 1.8 | 3.7 | .494 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.8 | 3.6 | .497 | .494 | 0.7 | 1.3 | .528 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 4.3 | |
| 1996-97 | 26 | TOR | NBA | C | 19 | 8 | 16.6 | 2.5 | 4.4 | .560 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 2.5 | 4.4 | .566 | .560 | 1.1 | 1.4 | .769 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 6.0 | |
| 1997-98 | 27 | TOR | NBA | C | 64 | 53 | 25.4 | 2.7 | 5.8 | .461 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 2.7 | 5.7 | .466 | .461 | 1.0 | 1.6 | .604 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 6.3 | |
| 1998-99 | 28 | SAC | NBA | C | 4 | 0 | 8.8 | 1.3 | 2.8 | .455 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 2.8 | .455 | .455 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.5 | |||
| 1999-00 | 29 | PHO | NBA | C | 51 | 9 | 21.3 | 2.7 | 4.6 | .588 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 4.6 | .588 | .588 | 1.0 | 1.4 | .671 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 6.3 | ||
| 2000-01 | Did not play – other pro league | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001-02 | Did not play – other pro league | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002-03 | Did not play – other pro league | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003-04 | Did not play – other pro league | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003-04 | 33 | MIN | NBA | C | 48 | 1 | 10.5 | 1.1 | 2.1 | .530 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.1 | 2.1 | .535 | .530 | 0.3 | 0.5 | .652 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | |
| 9 Yrs | 493 | 196 | 23.0 | 3.1 | 5.8 | .534 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .116 | 3.1 | 5.7 | .541 | .535 | 1.1 | 1.7 | .639 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 7.4 | |||||
| PHO (3 Yrs) | 176 | 40 | 22.4 | 3.0 | 5.4 | .567 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .167 | 3.0 | 5.3 | .573 | .568 | 1.1 | 1.8 | .645 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 7.2 | |||||
| TOR (3 Yrs) | 159 | 133 | 28.1 | 4.0 | 7.8 | .509 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 4.0 | 7.7 | .515 | .509 | 1.4 | 2.2 | .652 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 9.4 | |||||
| DET (1 Yr) | 64 | 22 | 24.3 | 3.6 | 6.5 | .555 | 0.0 | 0.2 | .231 | 3.6 | 6.3 | .565 | .559 | 1.2 | 1.9 | .629 | 2.5 | 4.9 | 7.4 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 8.5 | |||||
| MIN (1 Yr) | 48 | 1 | 10.5 | 1.1 | 2.1 | .530 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.1 | 2.1 | .535 | .530 | 0.3 | 0.5 | .652 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | |||||
| DAL (1 Yr) | 42 | 0 | 19.9 | 1.8 | 3.7 | .494 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.8 | 3.6 | .497 | .494 | 0.7 | 1.3 | .528 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 4.3 | |||||
| SAC (1 Yr) | 4 | 0 | 8.8 | 1.3 | 2.8 | .455 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 2.8 | .455 | .455 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.5 | |||||||
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