In its obituary The New York Times called him "perhaps the greatest table tennis player the United States has ever produced".

[1] Other sports he played in his youth included golf, stickball and Chinese handball, which helped him develop his abilities hitting a forehand shot.

[3] In addition to his strong defensive abilities, Miles was known for the powerful forehand shot he generated with topspin using an underhand grip on his paddle, which he tended to play directly down the middle of the table at his opponents.

Only two other American male table tennis players have reached that far in world competition and none has advanced any further.

He also started an import company that brought table tennis equipment from Asia for distribution in the U.S.[1] Miles accompanied the U.S. national team at the world championships held in Nagoya, Japan in 1971 when the team was invited to visit the People's Republic of China in what became known as Ping Pong Diplomacy, becoming what Time magazine described as being part of "most improbable — and most naïve — group of diplomats".