Alabama's Brandon Miller breaks silence on deadly shooting, 'Lock him up' chants
Miller transported murder weapon used in death of 23-year-old woman in January to ex-teammate
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brandon Miller has kept quiet over the last couple of weeks when it turned out he transported the murder weapon used in the death of a 23-year-old woman in January.
Days after being named the SEC Player of the Year, though, Miller has finally opened up on the murder and backlash he has received.
Miller was made available to reporters on Wednesday before the SEC Tournament, the first time any player has been made available to the media since Feb. 18.
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Brandon Miller #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide flies to the basket for a slam-dunk during the second half against the Florida Gators at Coleman Coliseum on February 8, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
On Jan. 15, Miller transported the weapon to former teammate Darius Miles, the legal owner of the firearm. Miles then claims he gave the weapon to Michael Davis, who shot and killed Jamea Harris. Both Miles and Davis have been charged with capital murder, while cops have said they are unable to charge Miller with anything.
"I never lose sight of the fact that a family has lost one of their loved ones that night," Miller said. "This whole situation is just really heartbreaking. Respectfully, that’s all I’m going to be able to say on that."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Just a day after the revelation of Miller's link to the murder, the Crimson Tide hit the road for a game in which the freshman was hit with chants of "lock him up" by the South Carolina fan base.
Despite the harsh jeers, Miller wasn't phased. He dropped 41 points and the game-winning shot in a 78-76 overtime victory. Similar chants rang out during their loss at Texas A&M this past Saturday.
"We hear the chants," said Miller. "I feel like we really just lean on each other to go to places like that and pull out tough wins."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gregory Jackson II (23) of the South Carolina Gamecocks defends Brandon Miller (24) of the Alabama Crimson Tide as he drives to the basket during a basketball game on February 22, 2023 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC. (David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Miller is projected to be an early pick in this summer's NBA Draft, perhaps as high as the top-three. However, he shrugged off a question on whether anyone told him to sit out the remainder of the year and focus on his future.
"I hear a lot of people in ears of chants," he said. "I just feel like I lean on these guys next to me to build me up to the person I am now."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Miller has continued to play as he has remained out of legal trouble, a decision head coach Nate Oats has consistently defended.
"We've been taking it very seriously from day one. The first minute that I got the information, I called [athletic director] Greg [Byrne], and we talked about it and the severity of it," Oats said last month. "Greg, I thought, did a great job addressing those comments on Wednesday, and I really don't have much to add to it.
Head coach Nate Oats gives coaching advice to Brandon Miller #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during a first period time out against the LSU Tigers at Coleman Coliseum on January 14, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We feel like we've done the right thing in this case. So I'm going to leave it at that with Greg's comments."
Alabama is the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament, and the fourth-seed in the nation.