Andre Miller was one of the most respected point guards of his time, revered for his basketball IQ and playmaking skills. Over his 17 seasons in the NBA, he played for nine franchises, remaining relevant throughout.
His longevity also allowed him to witness the game evolve.
The eighth pick in the 1999 draft, Miller was a close observer of the different basketball eras. He had indeed seen it all, from the Los Angeles Lakers duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant three-peating to the Golden State Warriors taking over the league during the mid-2010s.
Recently, on The Draymond Green Show, Miller discussed his NBA journey in detail, revealing the defensive assignments that kept him awake at night.
"Out of everybody, I would say Allen Iverson, probably, because it was like, man, I was guarding him the entire game and it was like, dude, like I'm a pretty good defender and this guy is still getting buckets and I dealt with that for like 12-13 years," Andre told Draymond before talking about another legend that gave him a lot of trouble.
Entering the last leg of his career, Miller managed to catch a thorough glimpse of the Stephen Curry revolution that changed the NBA landscape forever. Struggling to match up against the Warriors guard, Andre realized that his time in the league was nearing its end.
"I had to guard that one little young guy, Steph Curry. I knew it was pretty much over… It was definitely some sleepless nights. So, like, 'Hey man, get this nap in, get the legs ready, get loose, because it's going to be a long night.' So, I would say Allen Iverson and Stephen Curry, all those guys brought something different to the table that gave me some problems," added Miller, who also had Tony Parker , Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd on that list.
Miller, who formerly played for the Denver Nuggets , once described how going up against the Splash Brothers in the 2013 playoffs was reminiscent of a video game. Strangely, when it came to choosing his list for the greatest point guards in 2022, Andre neither had Curry nor Iverson.
Though Miller had the most challenging time defending guards like Iverson and Curry, his list of the greatest point guards ever gave a different picture. Looking at his top six nominees, Andre took the traditional route in terms of how he defined a true point guard.
"Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton and I'll put Chris Paul up there, the things that he's accomplished during his career for his size, he's up there. Those guys are great leaders, great floor generals, led by example.Their feel for the game and understanding of the game is on such a level, it's like having a PHD in basketball," revealed Miller.
One may find it hard to argue against Andre's list, especially when defining a quintessential NBA point guard. Nevertheless, it does not take anything away from Iverson and Curry, who averaged 6.2 and 6.3 assists, respectively.
But their primary ability is putting the ball in the basket.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
