Andre Miller recalls being upset when traded to Sixers for Allen Iverson
The Philadelphia 76ers began the 2006-07 season hoping Allen Iverson and Chris Webber would lead them to contention in the Eastern Conference. The two were big names and they were Hall of Fame talents that the Sixers were hoping would lead the team to new heights.
Instead, the Sixers stumbled out of the gate, and the front office realized it was time for a change. In December of 2006, they sent Iverson and Ivan McFarlin to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and draft picks as they began a new era.
Miller was solid for the Sixers as he averaged 15.9 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 221 games for Philadelphia and he led the team to surprising playoff appearances in 2008 and 2009.
However, he wasn’t exactly thrilled when he first heard he was traded to the Sixers before he warmed up to the idea. Miller hopped on the “Knuckleheads” podcast hosted by former NBA players Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles and Miller spoke about his time in Philadelphia.
Miller on learning he was traded to the Sixers
I didn’t know what was going on! I was actually at practice when I got traded, man. Allen Iverson was on his way to Denver, Colorado. I went to practice while he was saying ‘practice, practice, practice!’ and then they trade him. They trade him and I’m at practice in Denver and I still remember, you know, going to my locker after practice. My phone rings and my mom’s like ‘You know, you got traded, right?’ and I’m like ‘Huh?’ Yeah, my mom called me and she’s like ‘You got traded. You got traded to the 76ers.’ Oh, I was hot. I was hot because I felt like we had a good thing, you know? It was three years in a row of playoffs and then, I understand. I was mad, but I’m like ‘Hold up I got traded for legend. I didn’t get traded for no Gatorade or a sandwich or nothing. I got traded for Allen Iverson.’ So I was mad at first, you know? I was also mad because, at that time, Philly was one of the worst teams in the league. So you know, that’s when the business of basketball really hit me
Miller on being upset with Nuggets teammates
It was embarrassing. Everybody knew except me. ‘Come on, guys!’ I’m passing the ball and then you’re traded the whole time. I was like, ‘Y’all know!’ and ain’t nobody saying nothing to you. You get to the locker room. You look at your phone, you know? Boy, you know, that was 2000-end of 2006. Man, but it was a blessing man. It was a, you know, somebody wanted me. That’s how I had to look at it.
Miller on helping young Sixers grow
For real. Like, I went from Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin and JR Smith all these, it font matter what level you was (or) how people thought, all those guys was legends to me. Then I go to a younger team with young legends. Andre Iguodala, Louis Williams, you know, Thaddeus Young, Willie Green who’s coaching for the New Orleans Peli- like those guys was legends to me. I didn’t look at it as a bad situation, but it was like they needed help from a different perspective that probably the GM thought that I could probably help as far as you know, whatever he thought.
