“Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise.” – Kobe Bryant.
As Kobe stated, all the pressure and challenges are nothing but opportunities to improve your work.
Darius Miller is a living example that shows that challenges have made him humble and strong.
Miller has been an inspiration for all of us, from being waived out only after playing 102 games, playing for an overseas team, and coming back stronger and better than ever to go through a severe injury.
This inspirational athlete Darius Miller is an American professional of the NBA (National Basketball Association).
He started his journey of becoming a professional player ever since his high school days, where he won the Kentucky Mr. Basketball honors.
Moreover, he paved his way towards representing the Kentucky Wildcats of the University of Kentucky and ended his senior season as the 2012 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament champion.
Throughout his professional career, he has also won several honors like German League Finals MVP, 3× German League champion, etc.
Furthermore, let’s dig in deep about this inspirational NBA athlete. First, let’s examine some quick facts about him.
Quick Facts
Full Name | Darius Tryon Miller |
Birth Date | March 21st, 1990 |
Birth Place | Maysville, Kentucky |
Age | 34 Years Old |
Nickname | Not Available |
Religion | Not Available |
Nationality | American |
Education | Mason County High School, University of Kentucky |
Horoscope | Aries |
Father’s Name | Brian Miller |
Mother’s Name | Nicole Miller |
Siblings | None |
Height | 6’6” (1.98 m) |
Weight | 102 kg (225 lb) |
Build | Athletic |
Shoe Size | 14 |
Hair Color | Dark Brown |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Position | Small Forward |
League | NBA |
Team | Oklahoma City Thunder |
Number | 21 |
Marital Status | Married |
Spouse | Brynne Henderson |
Children | Nadia Belle Miller, Kalani Miller |
Profession | Professional Basketball Player |
NBA Draft | 2012 |
Net Worth | $15 million |
Career Highlights & Awards | 3× German League champion (2015–2017)
German Basketball Cup winner (2017) BBL Champions Cup winner (2015) Kentucky Mr. Basketball (2008) |
Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
Last Update | November 2024 |
Early Life, Family, & Education
Famous professional basketball athlete Darius Miller was born on March 21st, 1990, in Maysville, Kentucky, to his proud parents, Brian Miller and Nicole Miller.
Moreover, Darius is the only child of his parents.
According to the zodiac, Darius was born under the sun sign of Aries. People with Aries as their sun sign are mostly known for their passionate and determined nature.
Age And Body Measurements
Furthermore, Darius turned 30 years old. With his athletic boy frame, Miller is blessed with an impressive height of 6’6” (1.98 m) and weighs around 102 kgs (225 lb).
Education
High School
As for Miller’s education, he attended Mason County High School, where he played basketball throughout his high school years.
Before even stepping into his professional career, Miller had impressive numbers recorded in his high school.
The average stats that eventually helped the school team reach the state championship in 2008 were 7.9 rebounds, 19.9 points, 2.9 steals per game, and 3.6 assists.
His immaculate numbers also earned him the Kentucky Mr. Basketball honors awarded by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association during his senior year.
Moreover, in 2008, Rivals.com declared Darius a four-star recruit, listing him as the number eight player in the small forward position and number 42 player in the nation.
College
Because of Miller’s remarkable performance in Kentucky’s 2012 national championship, KHSAA nominated him to present a championship ring and a commemorative Kentucky jersey to the USA’s former president, Barack Obama.
Darius presented the award during the basketball team’s visit to the White House on May 4th, 2012, where President Obama stated that Darius was the only player from the city of Kentucky to become Kentucky’s “Mr. Basketball” (high school player of the year in the state).
Obama noted that Miller is the only player from Kentucky to have been named Kentucky’s “Mr. Basketball,” which is an honor given to the high school player of the year and for winning a KHSAA state championship while receiving an NCAA title from the University of Kentucky.
Darius greeted goodbye to his college career by playing more games than any other player from the University of Kentucky.
His last college match was his 152nd appearance for his team. He surpassed Wayne Turner‘s previous record of 151 games and The Wildcats’ championship game.
Career And Profession
Now let’s hop into Darius Miller’s journey to becoming a professional basketball athlete.
New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans
Darius’s impressive high school and college career made him the 46th overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets during the 2012 NBA draft.
The Hornets signed a multi-year deal with Miller on August 22nd, 2012.
Besides, The Hornets assigned Milles to Iowa Energy, an American professional basketball team that plays in a minor league organized by the NBA, on December 31st, 2012.
Soon he was recalled by the Hornets on January 27th, 2013. In April 2013, the Hornets were renamed the New Orleans Pelicans, and Darius re-signed with the Pelicans on July 25th, 2014.
After playing for five games during the 2014 season, the Pelicans waived Darius on November 30th, 2014.
Brose Bamberg
Moving on towards the season 2014-2015, Darius signed with Brose Bamberg, a German professional basketball team, on February 24th, 2015.
On July 28th, 2015, Bamberg re-signed Darius for one more season, and he stayed with the team for the 2016 season.
Moreover, on June 7th, 2016, Miller signed a two-year contract extension with Bamberg.
He ended his journey with the Brose Bamberg to play in the NBA again on July 19th, 2017.
Second Stint With New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans waived Darius only after playing 102 games, and he went on to play for an overseas team.
During his time with an overseas team, he made significant improvements, developed, and reacquired his confidence as a player.
In an interview, Miller stated-
“I was very excited (to re-sign). It was great for my family to return to a familiar place. We loved being here, so we were happy to come back.”
Darius wasn’t entirely conscious at the time, but he improved his three-point- shooting skill a lot. His newly improved skill helped him become a valuable asset in the NBA.
He resigned from the Pelicans on November 13th, 2017. Moreover, on July 27th, 2017, he recorded a career-high of 21 points in a 106–105 win against the Atlanta Hawks.
Darius scored 13 out of 21 points during the fourth quarter and won against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 31st, 2018.
Similarly, he matched a career-high of 21 points on January 24th, 2019. Darius became a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans again on July 3rd, 2019, worth $14.25 million.
Unfortunately, Darius had to undergo surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon on August 29th, 2019 and The Pelicans announced that he would be out indefinitely because of it.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Pelicans traded Miller to the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 24th, 2020.
National Team Career
Along with Miller’s NBA career, he paved his way onto the national team.
He represented the United States National Team in the 2009 U-19 World Championship, held in New Zealand. Team USA won the gold medal during the tournament.
Awards And Honors
- All-German League First Team- 2017
- German League Finals MVP- 2016
- All-German League Second Team- 2016
- 3× German League champion 2015–2017
- German Basketball Cup winner- 2017
- BBL Champions Cup winner- 2015
- SEC Sixth Man of the Year- 2012
- NCAA champion- 2012
- SEC Tournament MVP- 2011
- Kentucky Mr. Basketball- 2008
- Third-team Parade All-American- 2008
Injury
Miller got himself into a serious Achilles tendon injury during the 2019 season. Reportedly, he suffered from an unfortunate injury while playing three-on-three basketball.
David Griffin, Pelicans’ Executive vice president of basketball operations, stated that-
“We are extremely exhilarated with the progress Miller has made in his recovery. The work he has put in Before and during these limited mandatory workouts has been exceptional.
We look forward to seeing him regain strength in the 2020-21 Campaign.”
However, with the nature of Miller’s injury and its lengthy rehabilitation period, the Pelicans ruled him out of the team.
Net Worth
Miller has been playing professionally in the NBA since 2012. So, it is quite certain that he has earned a pretty good amount for himself.
He has not disclosed much of his salary information. However, we know the information about his two-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans worth $14.25 million.
Hence, the presumable net worth of Darius Miller falls around $15 million.
Wife And Children
We may not know much about Darius Miller’s private life. However, we do know about his love for his wife and children. Miller is married to his college sweetheart Brynne Henderson.
Miller and Henderson tied the knot in Mason, Ohio, on July 18th, 2015. The couple’s firstborn was also present in their marriage, as their daughter was born just a year preceding their wedding.
Their firstborn is named Nadia Belle Miller, born on November 6th, 2014.
Also, their secondborn is named Kalani Miller. She came to this world on July 29th, 2017.
Miller’s Father’s Day Letter
Darius is known for his love for his family. He usually posts, appreciating his daughters and wife quite often.
He usually doesn’t share much about his life outside basketball, but a letter he wrote for his beautiful daughters on Father’s Day became quite famous.
While writing the letter, he had already played for an overseas team for two years and was talking about joining the New Orleans Pelicans again.
The letter portrays his overall joy for being a parent, and he also mentions his journey throughout the NBA, which is nothing compared to living his dream life as a Father.
He expresses that he is blessed to have his daughters and wife in his life and hopes that his daughters grow up feeling love just like he did.
Social Media Presence
Besides his skills in court, Darius is also quite famous on his social media. His posts mostly contain moments with his family.
On Instagram, Darius has around 26.2k followers. Similarly, on Twitter, Miller has approximately 172.4K followers.
Miller is also quite active on Facebook, with about 194k followers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
What are Darius Miller’s college, career, and EuroLeague statistics like?
Darius Miller’s college statistic depicts an average of 8.2 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Likewise, his career goal is 152.
As for his career statistics, Miller averages 5.9 points per game, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Similarly, he has 271 career goals.
Moving on to the EuroLeague statistics, Darius features an average of 9.4 points and 1.7 assists, with a free throw percentage of 90.9%. Well, he has 24 goals in the league.
What is Darius Miller’s wingspan?
Darius Miller’s wingspan is 6’9″.