When people say the NBA used to be more physical, it isn’t an exaggeration. The 1980s and ’90s were home to plenty of physical altercations. Pacers legend Reggie Miller found himself in a few heated exchanges throughout his career. One of the most iconic involved Michael Jordan. Over 30 years later, Miller remains stunned at Jordan’s punishment or lack thereof.
Advertisement
Throughout the ’90s, whenever the Pacers and Bulls went toe-to-toe, it was must-see television. They were divisional rivals and featured two of the league’s best shooting guards. The rivalry reached new heights during a regular-season game in 1993.
It began once Jordan and Miller started jockeying for rebounding position in the paint. Miller took exception to a couple of jabs by MJ. In the following possession, Miller finished a putback layup in transition. Jordan was right under the basket, and Miller saw opportunity for revenge.
The Pacer pushed the Bulls star, and the floodgates opened. Both players threw few punches and had to be separated while the referees decided how to restore control.
Miller recently made a guest appearance on the ALL THE SMOKE podcast. He recalled the altercation, highlighting the unjust outcome which saw Miller ejected and Jordan remain in the game. Miller still can’t wrap his head around the reasoning.
“He scrapes my eye,” Miller said. “I’m thinking maybe we’ll get double technicals. Maybe if I get thrown out, he’s going to get thrown out too.”
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as Miller anticipated. The lopsided discipline infuriated Pacers head coach Bob Hill, who received an ejection afterward for his outburst.
Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes couldn’t believe Miller was the only one given a consequence. Barnes referred to the outcome as “crazy.” Jackson continued to laugh in disbelief.
Former Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell was on set listening to Miller’s story. He provided some input stating, “They ain’t never throwing Mike out.”
The league recognized their mistake fairly quickly. The NBA handed out suspensions following the game. Although Miller was the only one who received an ejection, Jordan received a stricter, three-game suspension, while Miller’s was only for a game.
The discrepancy rubbed Miller the wrong way. More so, it glorified the bias that some officials had toward Jordan.
