Brandon Miller may be one of the few who have trash-talked Michael Jordan and gotten away with it.
Miller, the second overall selection by the Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft last month, recently recalled how he chirped at Jordan during a pre-draft workout for the team, when the six-time NBA champion — who is also a minority owner for the Charlotte franchise — air-balled a free throw in front of him.
“I think [trash-talking Jordan] kind of showed another side of me,” Miller said on an episode of Paul George’s “Podcast P” show.
“I think me responding to him, I don’t think he thought I was gonna say anything to him just because you know he is Michael Jordan. But you know, I did see him airball that free throw. So that is one thing I have above him.”
Although Miller has not yet gotten a taste of regular-season action, the 20-year-old forward is already displaying his brashness by picking the Hornets to make the NBA Finals.
Miller is coming off a standout year at Alabama, where he put up 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds last season, as well as 2.1 assists a night.
His arrival in Charlotte wasn’t met with much fanfare, however, as fans furiously booed the controversial prospect on draft night.
Miller was connected to a murder case that involved his former Alabam teammate, Darius Miles.
He was never charged or suspended in relation to the incident.
Shortly after the draft, Miller put his skillset on display at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he put up 26 points and six rebounds on over 50 percent from the field and from deep in his final game before being shut down by the coaching staff.
Miller, who also treated himself to a Lamborghini Urus after being drafted, has the fourth-highest odds to win Rookie of the Year, according to Fanduel.
Even if he does not win the award, Miller has been hyped as an All-Star-level player with the potential to be a franchise leader.