Willie V. Miller, Jr. is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the Pilipinas MX3 Kings of the ASEAN Basketball League. Miller has won four PBA championships and two PBA Most Valuable Player Awards.
In 1999, Willie V. Miller, Jr. turned pro and instead opted to play for the expansion Nueva Ecija Patriots of the MBA. With Miller parading the Patriots, he was ranked second in the league in scoring averaging 23.6 a contest and made it to the MBA First Five. However, the Patriots won only five games in his first season.
Despite another impressive second year with Nueva Ecija, they never made it to the playoffs as the team ranked among the worst teams in the league during the 2000 season.
In 2001, Willie V. Miller, Jr. opted out of the MBA to join the PBA Rookie Draft. Batang Red Bull Thunder, with the top overall pick in the draft, selected Miller as the first pick, despite speculations of possibly choosing Filipino-American John Arigo.
In his first season, Willie V. Miller, Jr. was playing the backup role to Jimwell Torion at point guard but was able to contribute solid numbers in his PBA debut. He played a key role in Red Bull’s 2001 Commissioners Cup championship upset of the San Miguel Beermen. In Game 5, he made a last-second block on Beermen import Nate Johnson to preserve the Thunder’s victory, and a 3-2 series lead.
Fortunes change 2002, despite playing sparingly with Torion, Junthy Valenzuela and Lordy Tugade, Miller played a huge role for Red Bull. After an impressive performance against the RP-Hapee Training Pool in which he single-handedly led Red Bull to an overtime win over the Nationals, Miller performances alongside the impressive play of teammate Davonn Harp led to Red Bull’s second PBA title in the 2002 Commissioners Cup.
He continued his play all the way to the All-Filipino Cup almost leading the Thunder to another finals berth. At season’s end, he was selected to the PBA Mythical Team and won the PBA Most Valuable Player Award, the only player in league history to win the award with a scoring average below 10 points a contest. Miller beat teammate Harp for the award.
Willie V. Miller, Jr. continued to play his usual performances in the 2003, making it to the Mythical Team for the second straight season.
