The NBA has offended the Buckeye Nation with a single post on X. On Wednesday night, former Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller went to the Philadelphia 76ers’ game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis with his son Landon. Before tip-off, LeBron James signed a replica of his St. Vincent-St. Mary High School jersey for Miller.
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The NBA’s official X account shared the clip, describing Ohio State great Braxton Miller as just “a fan.”
“LeBron James has signed a jersey from his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary, for a fan before tonight’s game,” the caption read.
Ohio State supporters wasted no time setting the record straight. The caption never named Miller or mentioned that he is a former Buckeyes quarterback, and the comments filled up quickly with reminders of who he is. The Buckeye Nation got furious at the league for not giving the recognition Miller deserves.
Miller was one of the most dynamic players Ohio State has ever had. Under head coach Urban Meyer, he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, and he finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting.
In those two seasons, he piled up 6,472 yards of total offense and 64 touchdowns, and the Buckeyes won 24 straight games with him leading the offense.
However, Miller missed the entire 2014 season due to a shoulder injury. In 2015, he came back and changed positions from quarterback to wide receiver and H-back, scoring two touchdowns in Ohio State’s opening game victory against Virginia Tech. That year, Ohio State won the national championship.
In 2016, the Houston Texans chose him with the 85th pick in the third round of the NFL Draft. He eventually retired due to injuries in late 2019.
Miller’s ties with Ohio State remain strong a decade later. A video in September showed the football and basketball skills of his son Landon, and former Ohio State head coach Meyer urged colleges to offer the eighth grader a scholarship.
The NBA post touched on a name that carries plenty of weight in Columbus. The league’s caption may have been intended to explain the moment rather than make a statement about Miller’s identity, but fans took issue with the lack of recognition.
“Fan? That’s Braxton Miller,” wrote an angry fan.
Miller was Ohio State’s starting quarterback for three seasons and earned several honors, so being called a ‘fan’ was a glaring understatement.
“Shoutout to when @BraxtonMiller5 paid homage to a fan after the greatest spin move in the history of football,” another fan wrote.
Miller established himself as a dual-threat player who could beat defenders as a runner, and his 1,271 rushing yards in 2012 show how much of the offense ran through him.
“Dawg… that’s Braxton Miller. ‘A fan’ lmfao,” a third upset fan wrote.
The legendary quarterback led Ohio State to consecutive undefeated regular seasons in 2012 and 2013, as the Buckeyes won 24 games with him in the lead.
“That ‘fan’ has highlight reels that get more views than NBA games,” a user made a sarcastic comment.
“A FAN?…. A FAN?…… ITS BRAXTON MF MILLER,” another fan wrote angrily.
The timing made the slight sting even more for Ohio State fans. The Buckeyes head into Saturday’s game at USC at 6-1 and ranked No. 2 after a 19-15 win over Indiana on October 17, but they will be without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who hurt his throwing arm in the fourth quarter of that game.
With Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair competing to replace him, Buckeye fans were in no mood to see a quarterback legend like Miller called “a fan.”