Oliver Miller, the towering center who led the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Final Four before becoming an NBA star, has died. He was 54.
There was no official cause of death, but the mountainous man told his X followers in February 2025 that he was battling cancer, though he did not get into specifics.
Condolences came pouring in throughout the collegiate and professional basketball communities after learning of Miller’s passing.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Arkansas legend Oliver Miller,” Arkansas said in a social media post. “A key member of the 1990 Final Four team, an SWC Hall of Famer, a first-round NBA draft pick and a true embodiment of the Razorback spirit. We love you Big O. Our thoughts are with his family.”
Nicknamed “The Big O” for his thick, 6-foot-9, 300-pound frame, Miller was a standout at Arkansas from 1988-92. He averaged 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in four seasons, and helped Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson’s 1989-90 team reach the Final Four. For his basketball exploits that year, Miller was awarded the Southwest Conference Player of the Year honor in 1991.
Miller was drafted by Phoenix in 1992 with the No. 22 overall pick. He was a key contributor as a rookie, helping Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle and the Suns reach the NBA Finals where they lost to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in six games.
The towering center went on to average 7.4 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Suns, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves. Miller also played in Europe, the Continental Basketball Association, the United States Basketball League and with the Harlem Globetrotters.
The Raptors paid homage to Miller with a moment of silence before their Wednesday night home game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Miller was selected by Toronto as the last pick of the 1995 expansion draft.
“The Toronto Raptors are saddened to learn of the passing of Oliver Miller, who spent three seasons with our organization,” the team said in a statement posted on X. “He holds a special place in our history as a member of our inaugural team in 1995, and we are so grateful for all his contributions. We send our deepest condolences to the Miller family.”
