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'Big O' Legend for Razorbacks, Former NBA Player Miller Dies

Massive big man for Nolan Richardson's first really good teams passes away at age 54

Andy Hodges

Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley (34) talks to Oliver Miller (25) against the Portland Trail Blazers at Memorial Coliseum in 1992.
Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley (34) talks to Oliver Miller (25) against the Portland Trail Blazers at Memorial Coliseum in 1992. / Imagn Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Oliver Miller was one of Arkansas fans' all-time favorites for a personality as big as the reportedly 280 pounds he was then.

He passed away Wednesday at the age of 54. One of the last media appearances by Miller in Arkansas was an interview on ESPN Arkansas on July 10 last year.

After playing professionally after his last season with the Razorbacks in 1992, he pretty much disappeared except for occasional appearances on social media.

He was part of a group that made the Final Four under coach Nolan Richardson and the names of Lee Mayberry, Todd Day and Miller are legendary for longtime Hogs' fans. The trio won three straight SWC titles and had a four-year record of 115-24.

They lost to Duke in the national semifinal in 1990 and to Kansas the following year in the regional final.

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.

The 6-foot-9 Miller was listed at 280 pounds and weighed more later in his career, but he also displayed a feel for the game that made him more than a typical '90s center.

Miller left the NBA in 2000 and played in leagues in Poland, Puerto Rico and China as well as smaller U.S.-based leagues for four years, but returned in 2003-04 for one last stint with the Timberwolves, averaging 10.5 minutes per game as a 33-year-old.

In retirement, Miller encountered legal troubles. He was sentenced to a year in jail in 2012 for first-degree assault and possession of a handgun after pistol-whipping his girlfriend's brother at a barbecue in Maryland.

Miller was later reported to be living in Phoenix in 2020, living comfortably on his NBA pension and spending time with his grandchildren.

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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