Brandon Miller may want to prepare himself for some not-so-friendly Southern hospitality when he arrives in Charlotte.
The Hornets used the No. 2 pick in Thursday’s 2023 NBA Draft to select the Alabama forward, but the reaction to the pick was less than jovial among fans of the team.
Scenes from inside the Hornets’ draft party at Spectrum Center and a nearby fan-organized watch party showed plenty of displeasure over the pick of the controversial hooper.
Miller was accused of bringing former teammate Darius Miles the gun that was later used in a fatal shooting.
Miller was never charged nor suspended, but his role in the incident had been a focus heading into the draft.
WFNZ’s Kyle Bailey tweeted out that Miller was booed twice by an overwhelming majority at the draft party when the ESPN cameras panned to him.
“Then Charlotte took him #2 overall and the crowd was stunned,” Bailey also said.
Video from WCCB-TV’s Kelli Bartik showed the reaction from inside the Hornets’ home arena, which produced plenty of audible boos from the crowd, as well as fans standing up and giving the thumbs down sign.
There were some cheers for the pick, the video also showed.
Less than three miles away at Pinhouse, Hornets fans that had congregated to watch the draft gave an even more negative reception when the pick was announced.
Read the New York Post’s coverage for the 2023 NBA Draft:
- NBA Draft grades for every team
- The most outrageous outfits at the 2023 NBA Draft
- Fans were furious over this top NBA Draft pick
- Analysis of every NBA Draft pick
The fans there screamed “NO!” as NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced Miller’s name, with some screaming expletives as the video from the event went on.
The Hornets had narrowed down their options of who they would take with the No. 2 overall pick to Miller and Scoot Henderson, who went No. 3 to the Blazers.
Miller averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season with Alabama.
The 6-foot-9 forward also won SEC Player of the Year while shooting 43% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.
