Before Thursday night’s NBA Draft, Alabama forward Brandon Miller sat down with ESPN’s Jeremy Schapp to discuss the fatal shooting that took place in Alabama Jan. 14.
Miller’s former teammate, Darius Miles, has been charged with capital murder. Miller wasn’t charged, although he did bring the murder weapon, which belonged to Miles, to the scene of the crime.
That one act could have ended Miller’s career.
Schapp asked Miller what his part was in the fatal shooting of Jamea Harris and although he didn’t give much detail, he learned a lesson.
“I can’t really tell you what all happened that night due to the fact it’s still an active investigation,” Miller said. “But I can tell you what I learned. The main thing I learned was just always be aware of who you surround yourself by and what you’re surrounded by. That night all could’ve changed my whole career in just a heartbeat.”
Many felt at the time that Miller should have at least been suspended from the team for delivering the gun, but some even thought Alabama should have thrown him off the team for good.
Based on the evidence provided to the school, Alabama decided to let Miller continue playing, although the controversy followed him and the team for the rest of the season.
But the incident was a wake-up call for the young basketball star, with the realization that he also could have been a victim that night.
“It was definitely not a good thing to hear (the death of Harris), due to the fact that I was there at the scene,” he said. “It kind of put me in a place that no 20 year old wants to be.”
The Charlotte Hornets drafted Miller No. 2 overall, setting off protests by some fans who preferred Scoot Henderson.
About Stacey Mickles
Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.