Ranking the 30 best NBA seasons from players over 35 years old
Reggie Miller. 25. player. 100. . SG. Indiana Pacers
The 30 best NBA seasons from players over 35 years old — 25. Reggie Miller, 2000-01 (35)
Reggie Miller is one of the great franchise icons in NBA history, playing his entire career for the Indiana Pacers. He led the team in win shares for fourteen straight seasons from 1988 to 2002, and fifteen times overall during his career. Miller made the playoffs 15 times with the Pacers, breaking through to the NBA Finals just once in 1999-00 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The following season Miller was 35 with a ton of miles on his legs. He missed just 21 games over his first 13 seasons. With Jalen Rose the only other top scoring option on the team, Miller once again played heavy minutes, 39.3 per game, and averaged 18.9 points per contest.
Miller’s shot-making stretched the floor like few others during his career, and the 2000-01 season was no exception. He finished fourth in the league in 3-pointers made (170), adding to an impressive career total that ended at 2,560 and sits third behind Ray Allen and Stephen Curry. His league-leading free throw percentage boosted him into the top ten in true-shooting percentage, and he was likewise ninth in offensive rating.
The Pacers snuck into the playoffs and lost in the first round to Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. Underrated by history because of the lack of another star throughout his career, Miller nonetheless was a consistent offensive force who introduced gravity to the game when no one understood the impact shooting could have on a team. His age-35 season was another good campaign in Miller’s long career.