Big O Passed Away

[Barton Fink]

One of the all time greats. RIP Big O

https://x.com/Jumpshot8/status/1899933907472228387?t=FyheaFnzRI34GZdPu3GUlA&s=19

[Show-Me Hog]

Whoa. One of my favorites. Great shot blocker and passer.

[Doc Hogaday]

Damn.

[Thin Red Swine]

RIP, Big O.

Didn't he play way more than nine years in the league?

[Texzilla]

Terrible news.  One of my alltime favorites; he was a beast but always had a smile. 

[Son of Spam]

54 is way too young. RIP Big O.

[vegashog]

fuck cancer.

[BASS]

Damn, too young

Great player. If he hadn't been hurt, we might have won the natty in '91 assuming Duke (who we beat by 20) still beats unlv.

[animal]

Fuck he was one of my favorites. Lenzie Howell being another...it doesn't pay to be one of my favorites.

[Doc Hogaday]

I met Big O at the Foot Locker in University Mall on a random weekday in '91. It was when he was in the middle of those "scandals" and I was too young to really grasp what all that entailed or to know if it was even safe to approach him. Anyway, I sheepishly did. He asked if I wanted an autograph but I had nothing to write with nor on. He was with his mom and she pulled out a small notepad and said she kept it on her just for these occasions. Dude didn't have to but made a 9 y/o boy's day/week/summer that day.

I still have it and I know what book it's squeezed in to but they're buried way too far to put the effort in. It says "Oliver 'Big O' Miller" w/ 25 written right underneath it.

[animal]

I figure 25 will be hanging in the rafters by next season. Hopefully the boys do something for him tomorrow

[Papa Pigeritus]

RIP Big O.

One of my favorite Hogs.

[vegashog]

he's the all time leader in blocks and fg percentage.

with one and done and the portal, safe bet that those records will never be broken.

[CardHog]

RIP Big O!

So, 25% of that team is now deceased?

[HOGSRUNWILD]

He was one of my favorite hogs ever.  Dude always seemed happy.  I met him at the McDonalds on MLK way back in the day, I think maybe on the way back from playing kid baseball against PG or Farmington or someone out that way.  Anyway, saw him and walked up and said hi and that he was my favorite player and he just gave me a big smile and said it made him happy.  Then shook my hand and holy fucking shit, I still don't think I have ever seen a hand that big.  He was more shaking up to my elbow than my hand.  Even my dad was star struck as he loved him too.

My favorite plays from O were:
-The flat footed block with those super long arms.  He would just pluck that shit with those huge hands.
-After a made basket, just snag it and throw it the length of the court for a layup.  It would just fucking deflate the other team.  They would work so hard and finally score and then boom, 2 seconds later we have scored and now you have to face our press all over again.  It would just absolutely demoralize the other team.
-Great post passes.  Dude was an underrated passer

That block on Shaq without really even jumping was awesome.  One of the few players that Shaq tried to bully and run over in the post that just didn't move.  Then he goes up for a shot/slam and was just stuffed by those long arms and huge hands. 

I thought about what it would be like to get slapped by O.  With those arms and hands, it would be like a whip with a sledgehammer on the end.  Holy fuck it would kill a man.  He should have tried that slap fighting stuff.

[DirkPiggler]

RIP Big O!

So, 25% of that team is now deceased?

Miller, Huery, Larry Marks?

[Razornoz]

Miller, Huery, Larry Marks?

Lenzie Howell

[Barton Fink]

Big O would always frustrate Shaq. I'm pretty sure he never beat us while at LSU.

For an overweight 6'9" C, his rebound and block numbers are remarkable.

[Hognrock]

My favorite O story that I may have told here but can't remember. My parents used to take me and my 2 brothers to Starkville and Oxford games. My dad would try to find out where the team was staying and we'd stay at the same hotel. I think it was '91 in Starkville. The "hotel" was one of those 2 story ones that had the doors on the outside. Me and my 2 brothers, they were 8 and 6, me 12, would walk around and run into the players to get autographs. We found Day and Mayberry's room and Big O was there too. Door was open, it was a nice weather day, and we walked in. Big O had 3 large pizzas in his lap and had finished 2 of them. Mayberry was sitting on the bed. We asked where Day was and they said he was taking a shit.

Big O and really all of them were very cool and signed a basketball that I still have somewhere with the entire '91 team. Nolan and Mike A were cool as well. I'm sure they were annoyed by us but they didn't act like it.

Those Big O vs Shaq battles were fun to watch. He's gone too early.

[HogOfWar]

Sucks for Hog Fans and his family. RIP