Reggie Miller

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Miller's legacy is defined by his incredible clutch performances and specific rivalries, most notably against the New York Knicks. On May 7, 1995, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Miller scored eight unanswered points in just 8.9 seconds to secure a 107–105 victory at Madison Square Garden. Trailing 105–99 with 18.7 seconds left, he hit a three-pointer from an inbound pass by Mark Jackson, stole the ensuing inbound from Anthony Mason, and tied the game with another three. After John Starks missed free throws and Patrick Ewing's offensive rebound fell short, Miller secured the final rebound, was fouled, and made both free throws to seal the win. Beyond this iconic moment, Miller scored 39 points in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, scoring 25 in the fourth quarter alone while engaging in an animated discussion with Spike Lee.

In Their Own Story

On May 25, 1998, the Pacers faced the defending champion Chicago Bulls in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Market Square Arena. Trailing 94–93 with only 2.9 seconds remaining, Miller broke free from Michael Jordan to catch an inbound pass from Derrick McKey. He turned and sank a game-winning three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left on the clock. Although the series eventually went to seven games in Chicago where the Bulls won 88–83, that moment in Indiana stands as a defining highlight of Miller's career. Earlier in his tenure, on November 28, 1992, Miller set the Pacers' franchise record with 57 points against the Charlotte Hornets, hitting 4 of 11 three-pointers and making 21 of 23 free throws.

Reader's Guide

Reggie Miller played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, where he led them to a Pacific-10 regular-season championship and the first Pac-10 tournament championship in his senior season of 1986–87. He was selected by Indiana with the 11th overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft. Despite early fan backlash preferring Steve Alford, Miller backed up John Long before becoming a starter and leading the Pacers to perennial playoff contention. His jersey number 31 was retired by the Pacers in 2006, and he is widely regarded as the franchise's greatest player of all time. In 2009, he still held several UCLA single-season records, including most league points and highest scoring average.

Did You Know?

• Miller was born with hip deformities and wore leg braces for years until his strength grew enough to compensate.
• His unorthodox shooting style was developed to arc the ball over his sister Cheryl's constant shot-blocking during their childhood games of 1-on-1.
• Miller holds the Pacers' single-game scoring record with 57 points, a mark set against the Charlotte Hornets in 1992.
• He and teammate Jalen Rose became the highest-scoring pair of teammates in playoff history when they each scored 40 points in Game 1 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Philadelphia.