Leonard Miller living his pro dreams with G League Ignite
Editor’s note: The Minnesota Timberwolves selected F Leonard Miller with the No. 33 pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft on June 22.
HENDERSON, Nev. (BVM) — When Leonard Miller arrived at Fort Erie International Academy in 2021, he had zero collegiate offers. Two years later, he is a projected first-round pick for the 2023 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-10, 210-pound forward bounced around a little bit looking for the right fit at the prep level, including stints in Utah and Florida. For his final year, the Scarborough native decided to move back to Ontario, one of the best decisions he has ever made.
“That experience was a lot of work and a lot of dedication,” Miller said. “I just put a lot of work in and it paid off. There’s no secret formula that I have, but I’m just glad to be in this position.”
In Fort Erie’s inaugural season, Miller led them to a championship title in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association. He was also named the league’s MVP.
“I felt like that experience was like no other,” Miller said. “Every one of my teammates played good and we all contributed to winning.”
Now a member of the G-League Ignite, Miller will look to continue the trend of the Canadian takeover of the NBA in the near future. Going into this season, there were 22 players on NBA rosters from Canada.
“I’m proud of where I’m from,” Miller said. “Any chance I get to put on for the people back home it’s like a blessing to get the opportunity to do so.”
When Miller’s time in Fort Erie came to an end and he had to decide on his future, he had racked up 25 collegiate offers. But Miller was enamored with the opportunity of playing with the fairly new G-League Ignite team.
“It was a place and an organization where I could see myself reaching my goals and putting myself in the best position possible to do what I’ve got to do,” Miller said. “Everything about it is ideal for what I need to give me that ‘push.’”
But for Miller, getting the chance to play for the G-League Ignite was a big goal within itself. Many dream of the opportunity to play professional basketball and now he is doing just that.
“To be in this position to live my pro dreams as a pro athlete at a young age right now is something not many people have done,” Miller said. “I’m kind of helping set a new trend with the new wave of athletes coming up in the future.”
But for Miller, this is not the end goal.
While it could be easy for him to look ahead, Miller is focused on what he can do in the present to give him the best chance of success in the future.
“From start to finish, I just want to see the big jump in my game,” Miller said. “I just want to get better. That’s what I’m here to do.”
