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Nobody knows about withstanding the rigors of the NBA like Miller.So, what kind of fitness guru is he? What's his secret? Should everyplayer mimic whatever it is the 34-year-old point guard does in theoffseason?
Most experts would advise against it.
"I have no regimen," Miller says. After the season ends, so doesMiller's working out -- no weights, no cardio, no nothing. "I reallydon't pick up a basketball."
Eating right also falls by the wayside. "(My diet) isn't healthy atall," Miller says. "Hamburgers, hot links on the Fourth of July, allthat."
To control his weight, however, Miller uses old-fashioned discipline. "I starve myself," he says.
Seriously? "Yeah, I'm just starting to learn about calories and all that."
David Thorpe, executive director of the Pro Training Center inClearwater, Florida, suspects Miller may have a genetic advantage.
"When they cut open Secretariat -- the most amazing horse of alltime -- his heart was one and a half times bigger than that of theaverage thoroughbred," says Thorpe. The same sort of thing may be trueof Miller, says Thorpe. Perhaps his skeletal system and soft tissuesare optimal for the rigors of the NBA.
Then there's Miller's style of play.
"A lot of guys get hurt because they're trying to make an athleticplay and they pull a muscle, they lose their balance in mid-air, orduring an explosive burst of speed they get hit or fall awkwardly,"says Thorpe. "He hasn't relied on athleticism for a long, long time.He's beating you with craft and his mind, which is excellent."
It's not that the veteran guard doesn't get his fair share ofbumps. Against the Pistons in November, Miller twisted both ankles. Thepain was enough to leave him writhing around on the court. On the benchhe refused treatment, which is his most common reaction when approachedby a trainer. He would finish the game.
Miller's unique approach has gotten him this far, but Thorpe can'thelp but wonder what a disciplined off-season routine might do.
"If you went down whatever consensus list for the top 50 players ofall time there would be only one common thread, and that'd be guys thatplayed all the time, and trained and worked hard," says Thorpe. "Idon't think you'd have any Andre Millers in that group."
Naturally, Miller has his own take.
"It's impossible to come into camp in game shape," Miller says. "I like to work into it."
More than that, the time away from basketball and working outaffords Miller the opportunity to revitalize his competitive spirit andlove for the game. There are risks, but Miller adds, "I don't want toburn myself out."
