''A Full Circle Moment''
MIAMI – Jordan Miller opened the box held out to him by his college coach and smiled.
There, glistening under the bright lights of the Kaseya Center, was a piece of jewelry he’d been waiting to hold in his hands for nearly two years.
Circumstances had kept the former Hurricanes star from returning to South Florida after his 2023 graduation and history-making turn with Miami’s basketball program.
But on Wednesday night, Miller stood on the Miami Heat’s home floor as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers and celebrated not just his team’s win, but what he called a “full circle moment” as former Hurricanes men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga presented him first with his Final Four ring and then his ACC regular-season championship ring.
“I feel like a kid on Christmas day,” Miller said with a big smile. “I’ve been looking forward to this. Last year, I wasn’t able to come back and get them. So, it was in the back of my mind this whole time. To put them on and feel them, it’s just fantastic.”
It’s been a dizzying two-week stretch for Miller, who found himself back in Miami not long after signing a four-year deal with the Clippers, the team that selected him 48th overall in the 2023 draft.
But since being drafted, Miller – who led the Hurricanes to both an Elite Eight run and then a Final Four run during his two seasons at Miami – has endured a series of ups and downs.
There has been a lot of time in the G League and when Miller has been called up to join the Clippers, minutes have sometimes been hard to come by.
But the two-way guard continued doing his best to stay positive, and make the most of his opportunities, wherever and whenever they’ve presented themselves.
“I just tried to keep pushing, keep going,” he said. “It’s been a roller coaster, but I just tried to stay even kilter throughout the whole thing and keep getting better.”
While with the G League’s San Diego Clippers last season, Miller averaged 22.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Those numbers improved to 24.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in six games with San Diego this season.
Earlier this month, that improvement – and Miller’s work ethic – helped the guard convert his two-way contract into a standard NBA deal reportedly worth $8.3 million.
It’s a deal his coaches say Miller has truly earned.
“He’s kind of like a coach’s dream, just in terms of a young guy that came in very humble, [with] a lot of humility. He works every day,” said Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw. “Dahntay Jones is his coach and he’s done a great job with him daily, building his confidence, getting him a lot of reps and he was very, very good for our G League team when he played in those games. He’s been good for us at times when he’s played with the main team. [We] just want to continue to see him grow. We’re happy for him, that he signed that deal recently. He earned it. He deserved it. That’s what you like to see. And he’s a guy that, for a young guy, is very mature. He has that pro attitude already, even though he’s not getting a lot of opportunities. He prepares himself and stays ready for when he gets the call.”
Said fellow Clippers assistant coach Jay Larrañaga, who understandably, knows Miller’s game well, “From the moment he joined our program, whatever we’ve asked of him, he’s done it almost immediately. He’s one of the most coachable guys we have in our organization. His work ethic is second to none and it’s just nice to see that hard work pay off … Obviously, I watch all my dad’s games and saw how impactful he was on those Miami teams, especially at the end of games. I was always really impressed with how cool and confident he was and how many game-winning plays he made for Miami through the years. … He’s really gotten great opportunities in the G League and has proven himself to be one of the best players in the G League the last two years and now he’s been rewarded with an NBA contract. Really, really happy for him.”
For his part, Miller says he still hasn’t quite grasped his new reality, even if he now finds himself guarding players like LeBron James when he gets on the floor and sharing a locker room with the likes of six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard and 11-time All-Star James Harden on a daily basis.
He admits there have been moments where he’s felt a bit starstruck by it all, but Miller says he’s trying to do his best to learn from the veterans around him.
“Just being around those guys was definitely a surreal moment,” Miller said. “I watched those guys growing up, but sharing a court with them … They have really good insight and they’ve been doing this at a high level for a very long time. I think the biggest thing I learned was just how they work and the habits they have on the court. It’s very intentional. [They’re] not in [the gym], just having fun. It’s ‘I’m in there for X amount of time and I’m going to do this at game speed, game reps.’ That’s something I’ve been able to incorporate into my workouts and it’s helped. So, I think not only the advice they give, but [seeing them] lead by example is huge.”
As happy as he is to now be an NBA regular, Miller is adamant that simply earning a deal and roster spot isn’t his ultimate goal.
He wants to be a contributor for his team. He wants to see his game continue to grow. And he wants to make an impact, much the same way he did during his time at Miami.
Miller is determined to continue working to make all of that happen.
In his return to South Florida, he played a little more than seven minutes in the Clippers’ 119-104 win over the Heat, and converted on the one field goal he attempted. He also had an assist.
They weren’t the flashiest of numbers, but that hardly mattered.
Not on this particular night.
“I keep saying it, but it’s a full circle moment. Playing in the Kaseya Center now, from watching games here … there’s not really much to say. It’s a speechless kind of feel. I’m glad I could connect with my coaches, too,” Miller said. “I’m just trying to capitalize on any minutes I get. I have to work my way up the totem pole, but I’m going to keep working hard, keep stacking days and see where it gets me.”
His college coach has no doubt that growth, and Miller’s rise, will only continue, especially if he keeps the determination and drive he had during his time with the Hurricanes.
“He was with us for two years and we only got to the Elite Eight and the Final Four. I’d say that was a pretty big impact,” Jim Larrañaga said. “And it wasn’t just the winning. It was the way he conducted himself, the kind of leader he was, not just on the court but off the court. … Jordan is such a smart player, so professional and to get a four-year contract in the NBA, after he’s already been in the league for two years, now he gets to stay and he’s going to be a real veteran. … He’s obviously learning and improving.”
