Hoops Habit
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Best Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee from each NBA franchise

By Daniel Lubofsky

INGLEWOOD, CA- JUNE 7: Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during Game Three of the 1991 NBA Finals on June 7, 1991 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA- JUNE 7: Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during Game Three of the 1991 NBA Finals on June 7, 1991 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers
Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Best Indiana Pacers Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee: Reggie Miller

Shooting is the name of the NBA game in 2019, but that wasn’t the case when Reggie Miller entered the league in 1987. A frail 6’7” 2-guard, he could light up the scoreboard from beyond the arc with the best of them. Despite what was a fairly unique style of play in his time, Miller managed to carve out a place in history as one of the most feared shot-makers.

It’s important not to mistake the absence of an imposing physique for a lack of competitive fire. Miller’s career scoring average of 18.2 a night certainly don’t stack with some of the best scorers of all time, but when it came time to close, few combined his lethal 3-point shot with a sinister joy of wreaking havoc on opposing fans.

Madison Square Garden is the ultimate basketball showcase, but Miller treated it like his playground time and time again. He repeatedly burned the New Yorks during their many battles with his Indiana Pacers, He put in 25 points in a single fourth quarter and scored eight points in nine seconds in another, all while relishing the opportunity to stand out on the game’s grandest stage.

Rarely did it matter the type of defense Miller was up against. He could rush around screens with an unorthodox release he could get off at any time. The results speak for themselves: A career 3-point percentage of 39.5 along with 2,560 made looks from beyond the arc, what was once the most made in NBA history but now sits at second all-time.

He spent nearly two decades in the NBA, all with the Pacers, highlighted by a run to the 2000 Finals where they ran into a brick wall known as the Los Angeles Lakers. Miller never did win a championship, but his late-game theatrics earned a level of respect while creating some of the playoff’s most memorable moments.