Top NBA prospect Brandon Miller strangely picks Paul George, not LeBron James, as league’s GOAT

Brandon Miller’s name is expected to be called early during Thursday’s NBA Draft. Miller averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The San Antonio Spurs hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and will almost certainly select highly touted French prospect Victor Wembanyama. Miller and G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson will battle for the second and third spots on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Miller met with reporters and shared his thoughts on who he believes in this greatest player in NBA history.

Oftentimes when the NBA’s GOAT debate is brought up, names such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are usually mentioned.

But in Miller’s mind, none of those players are at the top of his list. Instead, he believes that Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George is the greatest.

“I actually don’t think LeBron is the GOAT of basketball,” Miller said. “My GOAT of basketball is Paul George. I grew up watching him. It was never just LeBron.”

The social media account for “Podcast P with Paul George” show caught wind of Miller’s comments and expressed appreciation.

“S/O projected top 3 pick Brandon Miller for his GOAT response. That’s love, [Brandon Miller].”

George has not won an NBA Championship, but he is an eight-time All-Star and widely viewed as a fantastic basketball player. But categorizing him as the greatest of all time is certainly a stretch.

Miller has also previously compared his style of play to George, noting that he appreciates how the Clippers star “takes pride in the defensive side.”

“I steal some of his moves and put my own twist to it,” Miller added.

NBA commentators and fans took to Twitter and unleashed a fury of comments, memes, and GIFs in reaction to Miller’s remarks.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called Miller’s comments “Utterly ridiculous.”

George has a career average of 23.8 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game. He will likely end up in the Hall of Fame, but his achievements fall short of what Jordan, James and Abdul-Jabbar accomplished in their respective careers.