This is an accepted version of this page
 Miller in 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1965-08-24)August 24, 1965 (age 60) Riverside, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Riverside Polytechnic (Riverside, California) |
| College | UCLA (1983–1987) |
| NBA draft | 1987: 1st round, 11th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Indiana Pacers |
| Playing career | 1987–2005 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 31 |
| Career history | |
| 1987–2005 | Indiana Pacers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 25,279 (18.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,182 (3.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 4,141 (3.0 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| FIBA Hall of Fame | |
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professionalbasketball player whoplayed his entire 18-year career in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) with theIndiana Pacers. Widely recognized as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, he was known for his precisionthree-point shooting, especially in pressure situations and most notablyagainst theNew York Knicks, for which he earned the nickname "Knick Killer".[1][2][3][4][5] A five-timeAll-Star selection, Miller was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 and named to theNBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.[6][7]
Miller playedcollege basketball for theUCLA Bruins, earning third-teamAll-American honors as ajunior in 1986. He was selected by Indiana in the first round of the1987 NBA draft with the 11th overall pick. When he retired from playing, Miller held the NBA record for mostcareer 3-point field goals made. He is currently sixth on the list behindStephen Curry,James Harden,Ray Allen,Damian Lillard andKlay Thompson. Miller led the league infree throw percentage five times and won a gold medal in the1996 Summer Olympics. HisNo. 31 wasretired by the Pacers in 2006.[8] Miller is widely regarded as the Pacers' greatest player of all time.[9][10][11] After his playing career, he became an NBA commentator forTNT and college basketball analyst forCBS Sports.[12]
Miller was born inRiverside, California, and attendedRiverside Polytechnic High School. He was born with hip deformities, which prevented him from walking correctly. After a few years of continuously wearing braces on both legs, his leg strength grew enough to compensate.[13]
One of five siblings, he comes from an athletic family. His brotherDarrell is a formerMajor League Baseball player; his sister Tammy played volleyball atCal State Fullerton; and his older sisterCheryl is also aHall of Fame basketball player. Cheryl was a member of the 1984 U.S. gold medal-winning Olympic basketball team and is an analyst forTurner Sports. One of the family anecdotes Reggie likes to recall was when Cheryl used to beat him in games of 1-on-1 prior to his professional career.[14] According to Reggie, they quit playing when he could finally block Cheryl's shots.
Miller says his unorthodox shooting style was developed to arc his shot over his sister's constant shot blocking.[15] His brother, Saul Jr., became a musician and followed in his father's footsteps in military service.
Miller attended theUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he received a degree in history.[16] In the 1984–85 NCAA season he helped theUCLA Bruins to anNIT championship. In Miller's senior season, 1986–87, he was anAll-Pac-10 selection for the second straight year, and led the Bruins to aPacific-10 regular-season championship and the firstPac-10 tournament championship.
Thethree-point field goal was added for the 1986–87 season; 69 of Miller's 247 field goals that year were three-pointers. One of his most memorable performances was in the January 24, 1987, game against theNotre Dame Fighting Irish, where he hit a 24-foot (7.3 m) shot to put the Bruins ahead 62–59 with 10 seconds left.[17] Another notable game was a win againstdefending national championLouisville andPervis Ellison on February 28, 1987, where Miller scored 33 points in the second half, which is still the school record.[18]
Miller's final game was a loss in the second round of the1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament toWyoming. He finished second in all-time scoring at UCLA behind onlyKareem Abdul-Jabbar.
As of 2009, Miller still holds the UCLA single-season records for most league points, highest league scoring average, and most free throws. He also holds several individual game records.[18]UCLA retired his No. 31 jersey in 2013,[19] and he was inducted into thePac-12 Conference Hall of Honor in 2010.[20]
Miller was selected by the Pacers with the 11th pick in the first round of the1987 NBA draft.[21] Fans were initially upset that the Pacers chose Miller overNew Castle, Indiana, nativeSteve Alford; fans watching the 1987 NBA draft booed Pacers PresidentDonnie Walsh for the selection.[21] Miller wore jersey number 31 while playing for the Pacers, backing up shooting guardJohn Long before he became a starter. Miller gained a respectable reputation early in his career as he led the Indiana Pacers to become a perennial playoff team.
AfterChuck Person was traded from the Pacers during the 1992 offseason, Miller established himself as the Pacers' primary scoring threat.[22] On November 28, 1992, he scored a career-high 57 points against theCharlotte Hornets in a 134–122 win atCharlotte Coliseum. In this game, Miller hit 16 of 29 field goals, 4 of 11 3-pointers, and 21 of 23 free throws.[23] The 57 points he scored was the second-highest total in the NBA during the 1992–93 season (only Michael Jordan's 64 against Orlando on January 16 was higher), and still stands today as the Pacers' NBA franchise team record, althoughGeorge McGinnis holds the Pacers all-time franchise record with 58 points in anABA game.[24]
Miller became a household name during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against theKnicks, due to a phenomenal shooting performance in Game 5 on June 1, 1994, in which he scored 39 points (25 in the fourth quarter alone) in the Pacers' 93–86 victory atMadison Square Garden. Miller made several long 3-pointers during the quarter and engaged in an animated discussion of his ongoing performance with noted Knicks fanSpike Lee, who was, as always, seated courtside. The win gave the Pacers a 3–2 series lead over the heavily favored Knicks, but they lost the next two games and the series.[25]
On May 7, 1995, Miller scored eight unanswered points in 8.9 seconds in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against theKnicks, leading the Pacers to a 107–105 victory.[26] With 18.7 seconds remaining and the Pacers trailing 105–99, Miller took the inbound pass fromMark Jackson, made a 3-pointer, stole the inbound pass fromAnthony Mason, dribbled back behind the arc and tied the game with another 3, stunning the crowd at Madison Square Garden.[26] On the ensuing possession, Knicks guardJohn Starks was fouled bySam Mitchell. Starks missed both free throws, and althoughPatrick Ewing managed to get the offensive rebound, his shot was just a bit long and hit the back rim.[26] Miller got the rebound and was fouled with 7.5 seconds left. He made both free throws. Trailing by 2, New York had one last chance to win the game but failed to get a shot off, giving the Pacers a shocking 1–0 lead in the best-of-seven series.[26]
The Pacers outlasted the Knicks in seven games before losing to theOrlando Magic in the Conference Finals in seven games, just like the previous year.[27]
Near the end of the1996 season, Miller fell to the floor and suffered an eye injury, leaving him unable to play in the playoffs until Game 5 of the first round against theAtlanta Hawks, where he wore goggles until the Pacers were eliminated.[28] Around this time, Miller hosted a talk show onWTHR calledThe Reggie Miller Show.[29]
Following the 1996 season, Miller became a free agent for the first time, and after lengthy negotiations that lasted right up until the start of training camp in late September, the Pacers and Miller eventually agreed on a 4-year, $36 million contract.[30]
After missing the playoffs in the1997 season, the Pacers returned to the postseason in1998. They defeated theCleveland Cavaliers[31] andKnicks[32] en route to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they facedMichael Jordan and the defending championBulls. On May 25, 1998, the Pacers trailedChicago 2–1 in the series and were behind 94–93 in Game 4 at home inMarket Square Arena with 2.9 seconds left. Miller got free fromJordan, caught the inbound pass fromDerrick McKey, turned and made a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds to go. The Pacers eventually pushed the series toGame 7 in Chicago, where the Pacers led in the fourth quarter before fading in the final two minutes. The Bulls won 88–83[33] and went on to win their sixth and final championship of the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen era.
With Jordan retired, Miller and the Pacers were considered a favorite in the East heading into the lockout-shortened1999 season. After earning the No. 2 seed in the East, the Pacers once again met theKnicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, where the eighth-seeded Knicks upset the Pacers in six games.[34] In the decisive sixth game, Miller had one of the worst performances of his career, scoring just eight points on 3-of-18 shooting from the field. He missed all but one of his eight 3-point attempts.[35]
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against thePhiladelphia 76ers on May 6, 2000, Miller and teammateJalen Rose each scored 40 points, becoming the highest-scoring pair of teammates in playoff history, in the Pacers' 108–91 victory.[36] The Pacers won that series 4–2 and returned to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth time in seven years.[37] This time they finally broke through, defeating the rivalKnicks 4–2.[38] Game 6 atMadison Square Garden on June 2, 2000, was sealed by Miller's 34 points, with 17 coming in the fourth quarter to help Indiana clinch the series with a 93–80 victory over the Knicks.[39]
The Pacers advanced to theNBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, facing theLos Angeles Lakers led byShaquille O'Neal andKobe Bryant. The Pacers lost the series 4–2 as Miller averaged 24.3 points per game for the series.[40]
Following the Finals, Miller became a free agent again, and would re-sign on a 3-year, $36 million contract.[41]
The Pacers struggled the next year, falling to the 8th seed in the East. In Game 1 of the First Round of the playoffs against the 76ers, Miller hit the game-winning three with 2.9 seconds left to secure a 79–78 victory. The eventual Eastern Conference champion 76ers took the next three games to give the Pacers a quick exit.[42]
In 2002, Miller almost single-handedly eliminated the top seed and eventual Eastern Conference ChampionNew Jersey Nets in the fifth and final game of the first round of the playoffs. After New Jersey'sRichard Jefferson missed two free throws, Miller sent the game into overtime by banking in a 40-foot (12 m) three-pointer at the buzzer. With the Pacers down by two points in the final seconds of the first overtime, Miller drove into the lane and dunked over three Nets defenders to send the game into a second overtime. The Pacers lost to the Nets 120–109, but Miller burnished his record as aclutch performer.[43]
In the twilight of his career, Miller deferred team leadership to All-Star teammateJermaine O'Neal, who urged his teammates to "win one [a championship] for 'Uncle Reg'". While Miller was no longer the team's leading scorer, he remained a go-to player in crunch time. O'Neal demonstrated his respect for Miller on January 4, 2005, when he scored 55 points against theMilwaukee Bucks and then left the game with 1:43 remaining to preserve Miller's 57-point record.[44]
In 2005, following the lengthy suspensions of star teammates O'Neal,Stephen Jackson, andRon Artest for abrawl with fans in Detroit, Miller averaged nearly 20 points per game for stretches of the season. He scored 39 points against theLos Angeles Lakers on March 18 at the age of 39.[45] In January, Miller angrily shot down rumors that he would retire at the end of the season, saying that if he did decide to retire, he would announce it through his sisterCheryl. On February 10, Cheryl, now a sideline reporter forTNT, reported that her brother had told her the previous day that he would indeed retire.[46][47]
On April 11, in a game against theToronto Raptors, Miller passedJerry West to move into 12th on theNBA's all-time scoring list.[48][49]
Miller's last game was on May 19, 2005, atConseco Fieldhouse, when the Pacers lost 88–79 to theDetroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, ending the series 4–2.[50] In the game, Miller led the Pacers with 27 points, making 11 out of 16 field goals including four of eight three-pointers.[51] When he was taken out with 15.7 seconds to play, theIndianapolis crowd gave him a final standing ovation. Then-Pistons coach (and former Pacers coach)Larry Brown called an additional timeout during which the Pistons players joined in the ovation, a moment which provided closure to Miller's career and to a season that had been overshadowed by thebrawl between the two teams.[52] This won the 2005Best Moment ESPY Award.[53]
Over his 18-year NBA career, Miller made over $105 million in salary, playing in 1,389 games for the Pacers.[54] He is one of seven NBA players who spent an entire career of 18 or more seasonswith a single franchise. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Miller is one of only nine players to join the50–40–90 club and has made 2,560 3-pointers in his career, which was anNBA record at the time of his retirement. His record was later broken byRay Allen, who was later surpassed byStephen Curry.[54] To commemorate the NBA's 75th AnniversaryThe Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Miller as the 47th greatest player in NBA history.[55]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | Indiana | 82 | 1 | 22.4 | .488 | .355 | .801 | 2.3 | 1.6 | .6 | .2 | 10.0 |
| 1988–89 | Indiana | 74 | 70 | 34.3 | .479 | .402 | .844 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | .4 | 16.0 |
| 1989–90 | Indiana | 82 | 82 | 38.9 | .514 | .414 | .868 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 1.3 | .2 | 24.6 |
| 1990–91 | Indiana | 82 | 82 | 36.2 | .512 | .348 | .918* | 3.4 | 4.0 | 1.3 | .2 | 22.6 |
| 1991–92 | Indiana | 82 | 82 | 38.0 | .501 | .378 | .858 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 1.3 | .3 | 20.7 |
| 1992–93 | Indiana | 82 | 82 | 36.0 | .479 | .399 | .880 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | .3 | 21.2 |
| 1993–94 | Indiana | 79 | 79 | 33.4 | .503 | .421 | .908 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 1.5 | .3 | 19.9 |
| 1994–95 | Indiana | 81 | 81 | 32.9 | .462 | .415 | .897 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.2 | .2 | 19.6 |
| 1995–96 | Indiana | 76 | 76 | 34.5 | .473 | .410 | .863 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1.0 | .2 | 21.1 |
| 1996–97 | Indiana | 81 | 81 | 36.6 | .444 | .427 | .880 | 3.5 | 3.4 | .9 | .3 | 21.6 |
| 1997–98 | Indiana | 81 | 81 | 34.5 | .477 | .429 | .868 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .1 | 19.5 |
| 1998–99 | Indiana | 50* | 50* | 35.7 | .438 | .385 | .915* | 2.7 | 2.2 | .7 | .2 | 18.4 |
| 1999–00 | Indiana | 81 | 81 | 36.9 | .448 | .408 | .919 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .3 | 18.1 |
| 2000–01 | Indiana | 81 | 81 | 39.3 | .440 | .366 | .928* | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .2 | 18.9 |
| 2001–02 | Indiana | 79 | 79 | 36.6 | .453 | .406 | .911* | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .1 | 16.5 |
| 2002–03 | Indiana | 70 | 70 | 30.2 | .441 | .355 | .900 | 2.5 | 2.4 | .9 | .1 | 12.6 |
| 2003–04 | Indiana | 80 | 80 | 28.2 | .438 | .401 | .885 | 2.4 | 3.1 | .8 | .1 | 10.0 |
| 2004–05 | Indiana | 66 | 66 | 31.9 | .437 | .322 | .933* | 2.4 | 2.2 | .8 | .1 | 14.8 |
| Career | 1,389 | 1,304 | 34.3 | .471 | .395 | .888 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .2 | 18.2 | |
| All-Star | 5 | 1 | 19.2 | .457 | .263 | .750 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .2 | 8.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Indiana | 3 | 3 | 41.7 | .571 | .429 | .905 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 20.7 |
| 1991 | Indiana | 5 | 5 | 38.6 | .486 | .421 | .865 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 1.6 | .4 | 21.6 |
| 1992 | Indiana | 3 | 3 | 43.3 | .581 | .636 | .800 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 1.3 | .0 | 27.0 |
| 1993 | Indiana | 4 | 4 | 43.8 | .533 | .526 | .947 | 3.0 | 2.8 | .8 | .0 | 31.5 |
| 1994 | Indiana | 16 | 16 | 36.0 | .448 | .422 | .839 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 1.3 | .2 | 23.2 |
| 1995 | Indiana | 17 | 17 | 37.7 | .476 | .422 | .860 | 3.6 | 2.1 | .9 | .2 | 25.5 |
| 1996 | Indiana | 1 | 1 | 31.0 | .412 | .333 | .867 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 29.0 |
| 1998 | Indiana | 16 | 16 | 39.3 | .426 | .400 | .904 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.2 | .2 | 19.9 |
| 1999 | Indiana | 13 | 13 | 37.0 | .397 | .333 | .895 | 3.9 | 2.6 | .7 | .2 | 20.2 |
| 2000 | Indiana | 22 | 22 | 40.5 | .452 | .395 | .938 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .4 | 24.0 |
| 2001 | Indiana | 4 | 4 | 44.3 | .456 | .429 | .933 | 5.0 | 2.5 | .8 | .5 | 31.3 |
| 2002 | Indiana | 5 | 5 | 39.6 | .506 | .419 | .875 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 1.6 | .2 | 23.6 |
| 2003 | Indiana | 6 | 6 | 29.3 | .283 | .160 | .913 | 2.3 | 2.3 | .2 | .2 | 9.2 |
| 2004 | Indiana | 16 | 16 | 28.4 | .402 | .375 | .922 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .2 | 10.1 |
| 2005 | Indiana | 13 | 13 | 33.1 | .434 | .318 | .941 | 3.1 | 1.5 | .8 | .1 | 14.8 |
| Career | 144 | 144 | 36.9 | .449 | .390 | .893 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .2 | 20.6 | |
Miller was a member of two gold medal-winning teams, theUS national team for the1994 FIBA World Championship and theOlympic men's basketball team in1996. He averaged 17.1 points, 52.6% shooting, and was 19 for 20 from free throws and was second-leading scorer behindShaquille O'Neal in the 1994 tournament. In 1996, he averaged 11.4 points and had the second-highest total points (91). He started 5 out of the 8 games and shared the shooting guard rotation withMitch Richmond. He did not return to the USA Team until the2002 FIBA World Championship. The 2002 team did not win that year's championship, losing toFR Yugoslavia in the quarterfinals. The tournament marked the first time that NBA players competed against international competition and lost. Miller was injured during the 2002 World Championships and played limited minutes.
Reggie Miller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre | color commentator |
| Sport(s) | NBA,NCAA men's basketball |
| Employer | NBA on TNT (2005–2025) NBA on NBC Sports (2025–present) |
Miller served as the 2005 Indianapolis500 Festival Parade Grand Marshal. ArchbishopDaniel M. Buechlein,OSB of theArchdiocese of Indianapolis opened the day with the prayer "Keep these drivers safe and God bless Reggie!" before Miller waved thegreen flag to start the race.[56]
In August 2005, Miller announced his plans to joinTNT as an NBA analyst; his sister,Cheryl is an NBA sideline reporter for the network. Miller once served as guest host of the network television talk showLive with Regis and Kelly, filling in for hostRegis Philbin. Miller is currently a host on TNT's NBA coverage and also answers "Reggie's Mailbag".
Miller's number 31 was retired at halftime in a ceremony on March 30, 2006, atConseco Fieldhouse.[57]
In June 2005, Miller also became a weekly contributor toThe Dan Patrick Show onESPN Radio, providing the show with commentary.[58]Beginning in 2011, Miller has worked as a TV analyst for theNCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship tournament.
Miller currently splits his time between residences inMalibu, California, andFishers, Indiana. Miller previously put his 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) Fishers mansion, located on Geist Reservoir, up for sale for $7.5 million. The listing has since been removed without Miller selling the residence.
On August 8, 2007,Boston Celtics general managerDanny Ainge and head coachDoc Rivers discussed with him about joining their revamped roster includingKevin Garnett,Ray Allen, and longtime CelticPaul Pierce in a reserve role.[59] On August 12, his former coachRick Carlisle was quoted as saying "we (Miller and I) talked about it and agreed that it was something that deserved careful consideration."[60] On August 24, 2007, his 42nd birthday, Miller decided against any comeback, stating: "Physically, I know I could have done it. But mentally, when you do something like this, you've either got to be all in or all out. And I've decided I'm all out."[61]
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A documentary titledWinning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks[62] premiered to the public on March 14, 2010, on ESPN. Miller announced in December 2009 that there would be a Special Premiere Movie event on Friday, Feb 26, at Conseco Fieldhouse.[63] The documentary was directed byPeabody Award-winnerDan Klores.
During his career, he performed a voice role in theDisney-animated TV seriesHercules; after retirement, he appeared in a comedy role inUncle Drew in 2018 and appeared in theseventeenth season of the American reality competition television seriesHell's Kitchen as one of the guest celebrity athletes assigned to contestants to serve as culinary students.[64]
In December 2020 he was voted onto theUSA Cycling Board of Directors.[65]
In 2025, Miller will joinNBC as a game analyst for its NBA coverage beginning in the 2025–26 season. He joins NBC after having been at TNT, which had lost live NBA game rights, since 2005.[66][67]
His three fourth-quarter 3-pointers accomplished something that no other team—no other player—had accomplished during this year's playoffs. Those shots took the Knicks' will. Miller revived his imprimatur as the Knick-killer. He ended a season and may well have ended a Knicks era.
And Reggie Miller, the Knick-killer, still had one more scare for New York, even after what turned out to be Ewing's game-winning shot.
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