Germany's understanding of its history made Miller's time in Berlin "welcoming"

Toronto Raptors wing Malcolm Miller learned an important lesson during his one year in Berlin: History matters.

It was something he took away from his time overseas, playing professionally with Alba Berlin in the German Bundesliga during the 2016-17 season.

Reflecting on his time there, Miller called it "positive" and "welcoming." It was different from what he was used to, at least in part because of the way he was treated.

As a Black man, Miller is no stranger to racism. It's something he cares about ending, and it's why the NBA's decision to limit the statements players can put on their jerseys hurt so much.

"I definitely understand the NBA trying to give us a platform, give us our voice, use their platform, but at the same time I feel like limiting the options is kind of like what Norm [Powell] said, a cookie-cutter like it's a little bit of censorship almost," Miller said. "I mean, a lot of us are smart guys, we're not going to say a bunch of reckless stuff."

It's also why he thought so hard about what statement he should put on his jersey, speaking to his friends and family to see what message they thought he should send.

"It is something important," he said. "It's what reflects your views and what your family thinks."

And ultimately it's why he chose "Black Lives Matter" for his jersey, citing the importance of the movement and the recognition of social injustice.

That recognition is something he said impressed him about Berlin. Over there, he said he didn't experience racism.

"In my career, personally, I would have to say, not so much in Berlin," Miller said of experiencing racism abroad.

Germany is no stranger to racial injustice. It's not just the atrocities of the 1930s and 40s and Nazi Germany's killing of over six million Jews in the Holocaust, but racism remains present today, where Germany has seen a rise in racism toward immigrants and racial minorities.

In Berlin, Miller said, there's at least an understanding and acknowledgment of that history.

"Everyone's aware of the history that they've had," Miller said. "I feel like that's kind of what makes Berlin a special city. It's still one of my favorite cities to go to because of the level of understanding between people, between individuals, between different races. And I feel like that type of growth is what we need to start striving toward, of understanding everybody and not being selected."

Reflecting on that history can be unsettling and uncomfortable at times. It has led to the battles over monuments and flags across the United States and much of the world in the wake of George Floyd's killing on May 25. But it's also something that's necessary, Miller said.

"Acknowledging what was wrong and what you did wrong and not passing it off like it was ancient history, that's a big step," Miller said. "Their monuments and there are things that are theirs, acknowledges of the mistakes that they made in the past, not commemorating different war generals that believe in slavery. So, yes, I think we can definitely take some notes from that. I mean, definitely different situations, different types of oppression for certain similarities, but at the same time, acknowledgment and moving forward as a country is something that we need to do and we need to focus on."