- READ MORE: Tributes pour in following death of Junior Bridgeman, 71,
Charles Barkley took some time on Thursday’s edition of Inside the NBA to honor his former Suns teammate Oliver Miller, who passed away last week at the age of 54.
Barkley and Miller – who had been battling cancer – spent two seasons together in Phoenix and reached the NBA Finals together in 1992-93, Miller’s rookie year.
And following the news of his death, Barkley eulogized the 6-foot-9 ex-player known as the ‘Big O.’
‘Such a young kid, great kid. It’s been a rough week for the NBA family,’ Barkley, who is 62 himself, said.
‘But Oliver, man, he was a great kid. We would not have gotten to the Finals without Oliver Miller. We would not have gotten there. He was a terrific passer, had these strange long arms – he played bigger than his size. But he was a great kid and man, 53-54 years that’s way too young to be passing away.’
While Miller’s alma mater, Arkansas, did not reference a cause of death in announcing his death, the school had previously announced during an event honoring its 1990 Final Four team that Miller had cancer.
Charles Barkley and Oliver Miller were teammates for two seasons on the Phoenix Suns
Barkley took a moment to eulogize Miller on the Thursday edition of Inside the NBA
Miller helped Arkansas advance to the Final Four before playing nine seasons in the NBA
Miller helped Arkansas advance to the Final Four in 1990 before playing nine seasons in the NBA, where he averaged 7.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest for his career.
The center, who topped 300 pounds during his NBA career, played for the Suns, Pistons, Raptors, Mavericks, Kings and Timberwolves.
Miller was drafted by Phoenix in 1992 with the No. 22 overall pick.
In college, he averaged 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in four seasons, helping Naismith Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson’s 1989-90 team reach the Final Four before losing to Duke and earning Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors in 1991.
Unfortunately, as Barkley alluded to, Miller’s death was not the only loss that the NBA community experienced last week.
Junior Bridgeman, the former Milwaukee Bucks player and part-owner, died at 71 on Tuesday following a reported heart attack.
Barkley also paid his respects to Bridgeman on Inside the NBA as he praised his business acumen.
The former Bucks and Clippers star enjoyed tremendous business success off the court after his playing career, becoming a billionaire with his franchising of fast-food restaurants and bottling of Coca-Cola products.
