In his prolific 17-year career, Andre Miller battled some of the finest guards that the NBA has ever seen. Whether he was up against a cerebral point guard like Jason Kidd or a defensive menace like Gary Payton, Miller held his own and refused to back down from any challenge. But on one particularly unfortunate night, Miller ran into an opponent that he could not quite overcome.
The former University of Utah star recalled the events leading up to this evening when he appeared on the “All the Smoke” podcast last Friday. According to Miller, the memorable encounter happened during the 2010-11 season, when he was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I’m playing in Portland, and me and my woman, we go the day before the game, it was a chocolate convention,” Miller said. “You know, convention centers are huge, so it was just unlimited chocolate. The day before the game, I’m just in there eating all kinds of chocolate, different stations and stuff, and I forgot who we were playing the next day, but I could feel it coming.”
On January 22, 2011, the Trail Blazers were set to host the Indiana Pacers at the Rose Garden Arena. Portland was riding the momentum of a four-game winning streak, and certainly, getting a fifth consecutive victory would send a message to the rest of the Western Conference.
Miller, though, wasn’t having it. He started the game but played just 2:42 before his body essentially shut down.
"I just overdosed on chocolate. The game starts, man, the first trip up and down the court, I literally ran off the court, and I had to go to the emergency room. They put me to sleep, man. They morphined me,” he recalled.
To Miller’s credit, he managed to tally one assist before ultimately leaving the game. The Blazers eventually won 97-92, and Miller was able to suit up for Portland’s next assignment (a January 24 matchup with the Sacramento Kings).
Miller, of course, is one of the sturdiest athletes to ever set foot in the NBA, having played 80 or more games on more than one occasion in his career. However, one night in 2011, the typically explosive shotmaker had to exit the court because of an insurmountable opponent.
