Indiana
I was only six in 1997. I could not tell you what NBA stands for or where the Hawks came from. However, if you asked me who was on the court wearing number 31, I would have screamed “Reggie Miller!”
I was too young to be a knowledgeable basketball fan, but as they say, basketball is not just basketball in Hoosier land. Downtown Indianapolis was covered with more 31 jerseys than traffic lights. Instead of Big Bird we had Larry Bird and the opposite of short was Rik Smits. How could I have not naturally loved the Pacers?
The Game
My father scored tickets to Game 5 versus the Atlanta Hawks. It had been a tough fought series; Atlanta sharpshooter Steve Smith played like a well-oiled machine and Dikembe Mutombo would not stop wagging his finger. On top of that, golden boy Miller had not played a game due to a serious eye injury.
Nevertheless, everything was going to be okay. Our savior was set to return Game 5. The familiar slender frame jogged onto the court, but for the only time in his career, he was sporting goggles. During the game, his protective eyewear fogged up, yet it did not seem to affect Miller, raining threes and flopping his way to 29 points.
Reggie Miller was not God. 31 must have been the magic number; he played 31 minutes, but was two points short. He missed the last second, desperation three-pointer as the Pacers were sent on vacation with the 87-89 lose. Out of frustration, he chucked his goggles into the stands and hit me on the head.
Reggie Miller
The Pacers would reach the NBA Finals in 2000, and Miller went on to play all eighteen years with the Pacers. He embodied the characteristics of the quintessential athlete: tough, loyal, and selfless. In a decade when hard fouls were good fouls, players did not team up with friends, and love for the game triumphed greed, Reggie Miller was one of the best.
Miller may not have any rings to show for his heart, but unlike LeBron James or Chris Bosh, he has my respect for playing the game the right way. Hard workers may not always win, and that is okay. I rather be one anyway. Sometimes when my homework gets difficult, I put on my one of a kind collector’s item and grind it out, Reggie Miller style.