A Pacers for life, Reggie Miller, is one the handful of Hall of Famers to play their entire career with one organization. The 11th pick in the 1987 draft, the 6ft 7″ guard, took the league by storm with his shooting, a career 39.5% shooter from the 3-point line and 88.8% from the free-throw line.
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Nonetheless, one of the highlights of his career remains Game One of the 1995 EC semi-finals against the Knicks, where Reggie did the unthinkable of scoring 8-points in 9-seconds. Despite a highly successful career, the Pacers legend failed to lay his hands on the ultimate Larry O’Brien trophy.
At the time, many suggested Reggie take his talents to a big market team, unlike the one in Indiana, something which was in the making during the summer of 1996. According to Complex, the five-time All-Star had hinted to Olympic teammate Grant Hill about signing with the Knicks.
Imagine the duo of Reggie and Patrick Ewing challenging the Bulls dynasty, which comprised Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman.
There was an interesting development between the Knicks and Reggie Miller during the summer of 1996.
The Knicks needed another superstar along with Hoya Destroya to take down the forces in Chicago, and who better than a pure shooter like Reggie to have in the mix?
Despite there being talks of signing Reggie, the Knicks decided to go ahead with Pisons’ Allan Houston, closing the Pacers guard’s best chance at winning an NBA title. Losing an opportunity to play at the basketball mecca, the former UCLA player would share his grief with Olympic teammate Grant Hill.
“The Knicks finally signed Houston, while Miller was in Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics. The Indiana player got the news at the US team’s hotel, and went whining to US teammate Grant Hill of the Pistons. “Your guy just ruined my plans,” Miller told Hill. Nobody really knew what Miller’s plans might have been, including Houston. “I didn’t care,” Houston said yesterday. “I did what was the best situation for me.”
Via: Complex
Thus the Knicks management robbed us of witnessing what could have potentially been one of the greatest duos in NBA history in Miller and Ewing.
Reggie Miller and his history with the New York Knicks.
Nicknamed the Knick killer, Reggie had quite the history at the Garden, whether it be his Game 5 performance against the NY team during the 1994 conference finals or scoring 8-points in 9-seconds in the 1995 conference semi-finals.
In the 18-seasons that he played, Reggie held an 18-17 playoff record against the Knicks, averaging 23.1 PPG on 41.2% shooting from the 3-point line.
