Paul Miller (208-C-1982, college: Wichita St.) is a former professional player that celebrated an illustrious 8 year pro career. He played in countries like South Korea, Germany, Russia, Turkey and France, but spent the most time in Poland where he spent 4 seasons. He began his basketball career at Blair Oaks high school and then played at Wichita State (NCAA) from 2001-2006 playing a total of 131 games. germanhoops.com caught up with the former player to talk about his basketball career and after.

Thanks Paul for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?

No problem, I’m now living in Wichita, Kansas with my wife and 3 kids. After retiring from basketball in 2014 we lived in Kansas City for 7 years before moving to where we currently are 3 years ago. Our family loves it here.

You retired from the pro game 10 years ago. Has time flown by for you?

It definitely has gone by quickly. I think the first few years after were a little slower because we didn’t have kids at that point but since starting a family I feel like the years have flown by.

What have you been doing with your life since basketball? How was the transition period for you going from pro basketball to life after? Did you get a normal 9-5 job?

Basically since basketball ended I’ve worked in sales selling orthopedic trauma implants that are used by surgeons to fix fractures. It’s a demanding, rewarding, and fun job.

Did you stay connected to basketball? I read that you served as an analyst for Cox Channel Kansas covering your alma mater?

I’m connected to basketball in some small ways and being in Wichita I’m able to attend a lot of the Wichita State Shocker basketball games locally. A few years back I filled in and provided color commentary for one of the games. It was fun to do but I found a new perspective on the talent and job that people in that role have. It is not as easy as it looks or sounds and takes a lot of ability and work to do a good job.

Let’s talk about your basketball career. You played at Wichita State (NCAA) from 2001-2006 reaching the NCAA tournament as a senior. What memories do you have beating Seton Hall and upsetting Tennessee?

Those memories will always be near the top for me. The tournament has such a hype around it and there was just an unbelievable amount of attention for us that year locally. To have the success after years of working toward a result like that was just really rewarding. We had a special group of guys that year and it was just an incredible experience. The success in the tournament was a culmination of a lot of things for the program and I’m very proud of that season.

You played 20 years ago in the NCAA. It was a long time ago. How has the game changed in your mind besides it getting more athletic. How would you have faired in the NCAA today if you were playing now?

When I was in college I think I attempted 1 three point shot if I remember right? The way teams play fast, shoot more 3s than ever, and with less structure and sets now is different than 20 years ago. It’s not like it changed overnight but has been adapted through analysis and as players and the game has changed. The metrics and analytics that are available now would have blown everybody’s minds 20 years ago. I think there is so much information that is digested and used to plan, scout, and train teams and players now. It’s very hard to compare players of different eras but where you’re in the middle of it all playing things would have been fine for me.

You had many great games. What was your best game in the NCAA?

The game against Tennessee in the tournament that put us into the sweet 16 will always be one of my favorite memories. It wasn’t my best personally but one that certainly stands out in my mind.

How did head coach Mark Turgeon groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

I came into college with very little experience playing basketball compared to what most players have now. I was also a baseball player and focused on that sport much more in my youth. So when I got to Wichita St. the coaches had a lot of technique and skill work to teach me. I think the footwork and principles I learned at that time were a big part of my success later. Turgeon held us to a high standard when it came to being accountable, focused, and dedicated. Turgeon really helped me grow in my career and I’m very thankful to have played for him.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Kyle Wilson?

We had some good battles for sure. If we played in the post I would win but from the perimeter and mid range Kyle definitely had the advantage.

You began your pro career in Germany with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven (Germany-1.Bundesliga) averaging 4.7ppg, 2.3rpg, FT-2 (89.7%). What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

That season I spent time in Poland, New York, and Korea before ending up in Germany. That was a little bit of a whirlwind for me but I really enjoyed the team in Bremerhaven and it ended up being a good springboard for my career.

How tough was it as a rookie cracking the rotation with 2 talented guys like Adam Chubb and RT Guinn patrolling the paint area. What memories do you have of these 2 fine players?

That season I remember having so much fun in practice. We had some great battles that year. RT and I played a lot together in practice and usually matched up against Adam and Judson on the other team. Adam was strong as an Ox and was hard to move he and I had a lot of battles for sure. RT was dynamic but unsuspecting he would regularly surprise me with a play or a move that you had never seen. Both of those guys were great teammates and fun to play with.

You played your second pro season with SPEC Polonia Warszawa (Poland-DBE) averaging 11.6ppg, 6.7rpg, Blocks-3 (1.1bpg), 2FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 69.0%. How important was this season for you? Your minutes went from 10 in Germany to 25 in Poland. You finally could show your game.

Like most guys sometimes the opportunity to play minutes and given responsibility is the key to confidence and then the game takes off for you. I think my time that year in Polonia was just that. It gave me a bigger role in the team than the year before and I was able to grow as a player.

In the summer of 2008 you played NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks. What memories do you have of that experience? Who do you remember being your teammates and opponents?

We had a pretty good set of guys. Nate Robinson played and he was always great to be around and play with. Danilo Gallinari had just been drafted so it was good to play with him as well. The summer league was still new back then and less of a production than it is today. That being said it was always a lot of fun to test yourself against the players there.

You played your third pro season with Anwil Wloclawek (Poland-PLK) averaging 13.1ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 55.7%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 79.9%. You played an exciting 6 game playoff series against then top team Asseco Prokom. You had 3 20 plus scoring games and 2 games scoring 19 points. Was that some of the best basketball that you played in your life?

That year our team in Anwil really came together in the playoffs and we found our rhythm. That series was really fun, they had a very strong team and I still think we could have won the series. That series was certainly one of my favorite playoff memories throughout the years.

Were you extra motivated against Asseco Prokom playing against ex NBA players like Daniel Ewing and Qyntel Woods and others like Ronnie Burrell and David Logan?

They had so many weapons on that team. Those guys were really good in their own right but they played together and had a good system. We just wanted to win I never thought much about the background of who was on the other team. If I learned one thing in Europe it was that everybody deserved to be respected. Sometimes owners or clubs would want to make some comparison of teams based on salaries or budgets of teams but at the end of the day when the lights come on teams and players have to go out and perform night after night.

You played your fourth season with Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia-A Superleague) averaging 7.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 38.1%, 3PT: 31.8%, FT: 87.5%;in the Eurocup and in the Russian League averaged 9.6ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP: 58.4%, 3PT: 47.7%, FT: 78.4%. How was it playing in Russia and taking in that culture? What was your fondest moment there?

Russia was a great experience for me. I enjoyed the club and the guys I played with. There was only 9 teams in the league that year so the level of all teams was high. If not for the weather I think I would have enjoyed playing there multiple years.

You played twice against top team CSKA Moscow playing against legends like Langdon, Holden and Siskauskas. Is one able to take in the atmosphere of playing against top players then or does one realize more now what one did so long ago?

At the time you have to respect the level those teams played at. Their quality was so high across the board. If one of the starters came out it seemed like the next guy to come in was just as dangerous. They were so solid in their play and didn’t make many mistakes or take bad shots. It was very hard to play against them. They were incredibly consistent in their play throughout the game, they didn’t take plays off or have any lapse in intensity

. In 2010-2011 you returned back to Anwil Wloclawek (Poland-PLK) averaging 13.5ppg, 5.2rpg, FGP: 71.1%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 68.8%; in the Eurocup and in the Polish League averaged 12.0ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 56.6%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 69.2%. Every now and then you would see ex NBA players like Gerald Green. He was in between the NBA when he played in Europe. You also played against Slovenian legend Primoz Brezic who had played in the NBA for 8 years. Do you still remember battles against guys like them?

On paper that year we had a very strong team built at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately I think that team underachieved as we should have won more games. That’s how it can be sometimes though and sometimes guys just don’t fit together as your might hope. We did have some highlights during the season and good stretches of play. The team from Samara with Green, Rush, Brezic was definitely talented. I remember a couple plays Green had that he finished with dunks and it’s no wonder he was a NBA dunk champ he could really explode off the floor.

In the 2011-2012 season you played for Bandirma Kirmizi (Turkey-TBL) averaging 12.4ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 58.6%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 84.6%. What memories will you always have of Turkey? What were you able to take with you with a season of Turkish basketball and culture?

That year was challenging for me as I broke my nose in the preseason that year. I was playing in Aliaga and it took some time to get back into form after that happened. I moved to Bandirma and enjoyed my time there but it had its challenges. Banvit I thought had a really great club and management and they took care of the team well. Kirmizi was built with a lot of the up and coming younger players in the club. The talent in the Turkish league was really good and there was a lot of veteran players throughout the league. The inexperience of our young team would show itself often that year but personally I enjoyed that season and watching and helping some of my teammates grow and develop.

In the 2012-2013 season you played with JDA Dijon Bourgogne (France-ProA) averaging 2.0ppg, 2.1rpg; and in the EuroChallenge averaged 4.5ppg, 2.5rpg. How tough was this season for you? You played 21 minutes less than what you saw in Turkey. Could you take any positives out of this season?

This was a very frustrating year for me. I got to the team after the season had started with the thought that I would be stepping in and playing significant minutes. I explored leaving for another club a couple times right around the new year but was told that I would get a chance to play more. A couple months went by and I continued to hope for more time on the court but it never happened. Looking back I would have left for other opportunities but at the time you just try to make the best decision you can and in that instance it didn’t work out for me.

You played your last season with WKS Slask Wroclaw (Poland-TBL) averaging 14.1ppg, Reb-5 (7.6rpg), 1.2apg, 1.4spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 22.2%, FT: 77.0%. You helped them win the league title. What was so special about this team?

I had gotten married the summer before this season so I really enjoyed my time in Wroclaw being with my wife and enjoying playing basketball. I will always have fond memories of that year and time in Wroclaw.

You then retired after 8 seasons. Could you have played longer? Why did you retire at age 31?

I definitely could have played for 3 or 4 more years but I felt like I wanted to start my next career and establish my family in Kansas. I wanted to spend time around my extended family and friends that I had been sacrificing and missing for 8 years. I’m satisfied with the time I spent playing and will always look fondly at my experience playing in Europe. The teammates, coaches, trainers, and staff that helped me throughout the years are the people and things I miss the most. I was fortunate to have played with and against many great players and those experiences and people are what I am most thankful for.

How would you like for fans to remember the player Paul Miller best?

As a player that always wanted to win for the fans. When the final buzzer would sound and everyone would finish shaking hands looking up to the stands and seeing the fans excited, happy, and proud of the team and the outcome of the game was the best feeling in the world.

Who was the greatest player that you ever faced on the court that reached the NBA?

That’s a hard question, I played with and against lots of guys that played in the NBA. David Lee definitely was one of the best guys I had to play against many times from high school up to the NBA.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

David Lee Lukasz Kozarek, Brion Rush, Pete, Michael Judson Wallace

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Shaquille O’Neal Lebron James Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Who is your GOAT?

Michael Jordan

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?

I haven’t seen the sequel. Anytime a sequel comes out that much further down the road I feel like it never ends up being as good. They should have left it alone.

Thanks Paul fort he chat.