Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary

Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history: No. 30 – Reggie Miller

Career: 1987 – 2005

Achievements: All-NBA (3x); All-Star (5x); 24th in career scoring; third in career 3-pointers

It’s easy to downplay Reggie Miller’s career, dismissing him for his low All-Star totals and his lack of dominant alpha scoring. Miller never won MVP, never overcame Jordan, never lifted the trophy. Yet the reality is Miller’s impact was in areas less easily tracked, and he was truly one of the best players to ever lace up his sneakers.

In an era when superstars ignored the 3-point line, Miller thrived behind it. From the 1989-90 season to the 1999-00 season, Miller’s 1,708 3-pointers were 355 more than the next guy. By comparison, second-place Glen Rice was closer to 16th than to Miller in first. That shooting ability warped defenses, opening up space even more than it does now. That allowed a middling cast of characters around him to gain notoriety because Miller’s offensive gravity, scoring and playmaking elevated his teammates.

Miller was mostly seen as a foil throughout his career, the guy who wasn’t on the Knicks, the shooter trying to take on the Bulls, the old sniper taking one last shot at the Lakers. His defining moment is the famous “eight points in nine seconds” when the Pacers were down six points with 18.7 seconds remaining in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Miller hit a 3-pointer, stole the inbounds and hit another 3 to tie the game. After two missed free throws by the Knicks Miller came back and drained two free throws to complete the comeback and give the Pacers the win.