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Brandon Miller top scores with 18 points (in pink sneakers!) but his Charlotte Hornets Summer League debut ends in defeat to the Spurs – who didn’t play Victor Wembanyama
- Fellow Hornets first-round draft pick Nick Smith Jr. also made his summer debut
- Miller ended the first half shooting 1-6 before turning his game around later on
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Charlotte Hornets rookie forward and 2023 No. 2 overall draft pick Brandon Miller made his NBA Summer League debut on Monday in a 98-77 blowout at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
Taking to the court in pink sneakers, Miller got off to a slow start in his first taste of NBA action as he shot 1-6 in the first half of the game and recorded six fouls.
Luckily for Miller, players in the summer league are allowed 10 fouls before being disqualified.
His performance was not too bleak overall though. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star found his stroke later on, albeit when the game was well out of reach, in order to save his stat line.
Miller finished the game with a team-high 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and was able to shoot 5-11 from the field. He also recorded six turnovers.
Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller made his NBA Summer League debut on Monday
Miller made a nervous start but recovered well and shot a team-high total of 18 points
There were some impressive three-pointers in Miller’s 18 points, as well as three assists
Miller took to the court in pink sneakers with all eyes on his first appearance for the Hornets
He also recorded several highlights which included sending his defender to the ground as he fought through a foul drove to the basket for to convert a lay-up, along with hitting a couple three pointers from deep enough to make even Stephen Curry proud.
Well before his up-and-down Summer League debut Miller had some words for Hornets fans after several videos of Charlotte fans booing when he was announced as their selection went viral on social media.
It comes from his alleged role in a murder in Tuscaloosa earlier this year.
Tuscaloosa police testified that Miller delivered a handgun to teammate Darius Miles, which was ultimately used by another man, Michael Lynn Davis, to kill the woman.
While Miles and Davis remain in jail awaiting trail on capital murder charges, Miller has not been arrested in the case. His attorney says he never handled the firearm and did not have any idea that the shooting would take place.
Miller’s coach, Nate Oats, said it was a case of ‘wrong spot, wrong time.’
Miller has vowed to win the boo boys over.
‘To the ones who are booing, I’ll just let you know we’re gonna get a lot of wins this year, definitely,’ Miller told Charlotte Sports Live.
Not every Hornets fans is pleased with MIller’s arrival after alleged links to a murder case
Miller was selected No. 2 overall after being selected by the Hornets after staring at Alabama
Fellow Hornets first round pick Nick Smith Jr. also made his NBA Summer League debut
‘We’re gonna try to hold up that big trophy at the end. I’m just gonna have a lot of winners around me.’
Miller had made a similar promise is another interview, vowing to Hornets supporters that they would witness their team clinching the championship title at the end.
‘I see the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Finals next year. Hopefully, we’ll get that big trophy at the end,’ Miller said to WCNC’s Ashley Stroehlein.
‘My message to Charlotte Hornets fans would be that y’all will see us at the end of the year holding that big trophy up,’ Miller later said.
Fellow Hornets first round pick Nick Smith Jr. also made his Summer League debut in the contest. The guard whom Charlotte selected with the No. 27 overall pick finished the game with 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
San Antonio’s prized No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama did not suit up and is not expected to take the court until the Las Vegas Summer League later on in the month.
