After 15 seasons as one of the NBA’s reliable shooters, CJ Miles is still chasing the perfect look. Only now it happens from behind the camera lens.
A Dallas native who jumped straight from high school to the NBA when the Utah Jazz selected him in the 2005 draft, Miles built a reputation over more than a decade in the league as a dependable scorer and veteran presence. Over the course of a career that included stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and others, the 6-foot-6 wing carved out a role as a floor-spacing marksmen and respected member of the NBA’s fraternity of players.
Now retired, Miles has traded the hardwood for the darkroom. In his second act, he’s become an accomplished photographer, applying the same patience, timing and shot selection that once defined his game to the images he captures courtside. He’s photographed events across the league, including the 2025 NBA Finals, NBA Summer League and the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend. Through his lens, he’s documenting the culture he once helped shape.
Victor Wembanyama
Sights from the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend. Images: courtesy of CJ Miles
EBONY caught up with Miles to talk about falling in love with photography, transitioning from the court to behind the camera, and why cultivating passion off the court can be just as important as the game itself.
EBONY: When did you first discover your love of photography?
CJ Miles: Early in my career, I bought a camera and carried it around, but I wasn’t consistent. I kept coming back to it, though. Eventually, I dove in and have been shooting for a decade. For the last four or five years, I never left the house without my camera. I started treating photography like basketball—spending as much time as I could with it.
EBONY: I saw that you were capturing images at All-Star Weekend. How does it feel to be on the other side of the game?
CJ Miles: The energy of the game still excites me. All-Star Weekend celebrates the players who are most devoted and competitive, and it’s fun to honor that. Sitting with Kareem Abdul Jabbar was crazy. I also spent time with the rookies, staying connected. The weekend was amazing.
EBONY: How do the players respond when they notice it’s you with the camera?
CJ Miles: The reception that I’ve gotten has been cool. I’m a part of the brotherhood, right? I don’t even really think that it registers that I’m a part of the media. One of my favorite stories happened when I was in Houston. During pregame, I was on the sideline, and Jeff Green and Kevin Durant were working out. They stopped their pregame workouts to come talk to me. KD screams out. “Oh, hell no!” That’s the type of love I get. That also grants me access and an angle with players because I’m not there as media. I’m there as a player. I’m there as CJ.
EBONY: What is your camera of choice?
CJ Miles: I’m shooting with the Sony Alpha 1 II (ILCE-1M2) 150 millimeter lens. That’s like my favorite lens right now. I think it’s the perfect basketball lens, obviously, if you get close enough. I like being able to go from 50 to 150 on one lens that’s fast and smooth. It allows you to get video and pictures back fast, even though mostly I’ photo. Being able to do that and have that tool as I move forward has been amazing.
EBONY: Do you envision transitioning from the NBA and jumping right into photography?
CJ Miles: No, and I think that’s why it’s happening the way it’s happening. I didn’t try to control it. I just listened. When I started playing basketball as a kid, I didn’t start playing basketball to go to the NBA. The NBA became an opportunity because I love to play basketball. It’s the other way around. I think that is the way I approach a lot of things now, but I’ve earned the ability to approach everything else like that because of how I gave myself to basketball. So when the photography came, I approached them the same way. I put in the reps, and I let it become what it’s gonna become.
EBONY: What are some of the events that have been your favorite to shoot?
CJ Miles: I shot the 8 Second Rodeo, the Black rodeo in Philly. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever been a part of. I shot three games of the NBA Finals last year. I never been to the actual Finals, and my first time was as a photographer, which makes it even more full circle. I shot one of my good friends’ weddings last year. And I got to shoot my Pops, who’s still coaching in Dallas. That was cool.