Former NBA Player Oliver ‘The Big O’ Miller Dies At 54

Source: Tim DeFrisco / Getty

Basketball fans worldwide are suffering from yet another loss of a memorable player from the past.

Former NBA player Oliver ‘The Big O’ Miller reportedly passed away on March 12 at the age of 54. A cause of death hasn’t been revealed.

Eddie Johnson, a fellow former Phoenix Sun and the team’s current broadcaster, first confirmed the news on X.

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“I am so sad to report we have lost another @NBA Fraternity member! Nine year veteran Oliver Miller has passed away at age 54! Going to miss you Big O. . RIP,” he wrote. 

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A post shared by Phoenix Suns (@suns)

The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) then shared a message about his death, writing, “The basketball community has lost a Legend. Our hearts are with the family, friends, and fans of Oliver Miller.”

Statement from NBRPA CEO & President Antonio Davis regarding the passing of Junior Bridgeman and Oliver Miller pic.twitter.com/XEOf0IoDCL

— NBA Alumni (@NBAalumni) March 13, 2025

Miller first gained recognition as a sought-after basketball player as a senior in high school. After graduating, he spent four years as a Razorback at the University of Arkansas, where he helped the team win the now-defunct Southwest Conference regular season championship, three consecutive SWC Tournament championships, and even made a 1990 Final Four appearance.

When Arkansas honored the 1990 team last month, the announcer noted that Miller was fighting cancer. It was the last post that Miller made on X.

After four years in college, the Phoenix Suns selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 1992 draft. He then played eight years in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Dallas Mavericks.

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The Raptors expressed their condolences on Miller’s death, noting that his first stint with the Canadian team in the mid-1990s was momentous because it was during their inaugural season.

“The Toronto Raptors are saddened to learn of the passing of Oliver Miller, who spent three seasons with our organization,” the tweet reads. “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.”

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