In basketball lingo, the word “unicorn” is often used to refer to a tall but surprisingly versatile player—a giant with the finesse and touch typically reserved for shorter players. Capable of dominating the basket like the titan nature made him to be, but also of dribbling, passing the ball while looking up at the stands, or shooting three-pointers. A center with the hands and mind of a point guard. This meaning of the term was coined in 2016 by Kevin Durant to describe Kristaps Porzingis (although Durant himself fits the description perfectly), and modern basketball is producing more and more players with this profile. Names like Karl-Anthony Towns, Chet Holmgren, or—the rising star of the NBA– Victor Wembanyama—are consigning to oblivion the very specific role that the 20th century forced these giants of the court to assume, boxed into the paint and forced to rely on dunks and rebounds. This wave of change knows no geographical boundaries, and Mallorca is also a breeding ground for these new specimens. Baba Miller, 22, has begun to prove it in the early stages of the world’s best league.
And there’s no better way to do it than at home, at the Los Angeles Clippers’ arena, on opening night, with a win and a debut that featured a wild dunk that’s already gone viral. With the Sacramento Kings players as firsthand witnesses and the arena roaring at the first burst of fury from the No. 36 draft pick, Baba was a second-round selection—a deep-water fishing ground where gems are sometimes found. Nicola Jokic and Jalen Brunson, to name just two, are prime examples of this. If Baba is looking to follow in someone’s footsteps, he can look to the icons he’ll be sharing the court with this very season.
Papa Ababacar “Baba” Bartolomé Miller was born on April 7, 2004, in Palma de Mallorca. The son of a Senegalese father and a British mother, he stood out from a young age for his exceptional physical and technical abilities: height, arm span, agility, and the ability to contribute in various aspects of the game—going beyond the limited roles typically assigned to a center. Today, he stands 2.11 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.18 meters.
These stats round out the profile of a player who typically stands out as a center or power forward—truly his most natural positions—but who can expand his positional range by catching both teammates and opponents off guard. Even within his own franchise. “Baba is an athletic and skilled small forward with a long wingspan and a good sense of the game. He’s an excellent passer, finisher, and rebounder, as well as a versatile defender,” said Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations for the Clippers, after his acquisition was confirmed. Sports Illustrated also referred to him as a small forward during his time at Florida State. In today’s NBA, versatility is an increasingly prominent—and increasingly sought-after—asset.
Miller joined Real Madrid’s youth academy at just 12 years old, after scoring his first baskets in Mallorca. His coaches on the island say that even then he showed a special talent, the kind typical of the most gifted players in the sport. During his time in the capital, he played for the club’s various youth teams before making his EuroLeague debut at age 17. From there, he made the leap in 2022 to the NCAA, the U.S. college league. He played for Florida State, Florida Atlantic, and finally Cincinnati, where he truly came into his own: the conference’s leading rebounder and the team’s undisputed best player as the top scorer, rebounder, and assist leader. A feat no one had achieved since a certain Oscar Robertson did so nearly 70 years ago. Among his areas for improvement is his outside shooting.
His NBA debut against the Kings last Thursday resulted in 4 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and a +14 for his team while he was on the court. “It’s a great opportunity, and a lot depends on what we do with it. That will determine how good we’ll be in the future. We have a lot to prove, but it’s a big step toward the future,” Miller said after the Clippers announced they had selected him in a draft that also featured two other Spaniards: Aday Mara (another “unicorn,” to the Oklahoma City Thunder) and Sergio Larrea (Dallas Mavericks).
Baba is joining a team that is practically starting from scratch this season. The departure of star player Kawhi Leonard to Toronto leaves plenty of ground to start sowing seeds. It’s another shot at success for a franchise accustomed to living in the shadow of the Lakers in a city that breathes basketball. It doesn’t look like they’ll make the playoffs in 2027, but that makes it the perfect environment for developing emerging talent. Without the pressure to compete at the highest level, the team can focus on giving playing time to promising young players like Miller while it waits for better days. And everyone knows that unicorns need to live in freedom.
Building through the draft, growing by shaping the future. The eternal return to a cyclical phase that all teams go through—and one in which a franchise is now immersed—a franchise that still holds its head high when looking at the other team in the city, but remains determined to begin writing its own story. The new arena, which opened a couple of years ago, is a start. There’s just one problem: the Clippers have been stripped of their draft picks for the next five years following sanctions—which include multimillion-dollar fines and the suspension of team owner Steve Ballmer—for irregular payments to Leonard. That’s the complicated context into which Baba Miller has just stepped. In short, there’s a lot of work to be done, but at the same time, plenty of room to grow. And as of today, no one has any idea what the limits are for a unicorn born in Mallorca.
