greasywheels121 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 http://www.indystar.com/articles/0/221391-5670-094.html Reggie Miller to retire at season's end By Mark Montieth [email protected] February 11, 2005 Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller, the most popular and recognized athlete in the city's sports history, has made it official: he'll retire at the end of this season. Miller informed Pacers coach Rick Carlisle of his decision early Thursday evening. The public announcement was delivered through his sister, Cheryl, on a TNT broadcast a few hours later. "It's not a shock," Carlisle said. "I guess it's a sobering dose of reality that this is the last season to see one of the game's greatest players." Miller, who turns 40 in August, had stated in recent years that he didn't plan to play past the age of 40, and said before the season began that this probably would be his last. The finality of Thursday's announcement, however, comes as a sad occasion for most Pacers fans, who have grown to view Miller as the face of the franchise. Miller is playing his 18th season with the Pacers and is widely regarded as a likely inductee into the National Basketball Hall of Fame after his retirement. He is the Pacers' all-time leader in scoring, assists, steals and several other categories, and ranks 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. He has gained worldwide fame for his clutch shooting and playoff heroics. He is the NBA's all-time leader in 3-point shots made and attempted and one of the most accurate free throw shooters in league history. He gained added respect in recent seasons for gracefully stepping aside to make way for younger, more productive players. He is averaging 11.9 points this season. Miller's announcement comes amid a season of turmoil for the Pacers. A brawl at the end of their game at Detroit on Nov. 19 robbed them of their three leading scorers for long stretches of games, and numerous injuries have taken their toll on the team's lineup and chemistry. Carlisle, however, said he doesn't believe Thursday's announcement will be a distraction for the team. "I view it as an important event," he said. "I think it's something that has been taken very seriously. This is the last opportunity to be with Reggie, who is one of the greatest players. This is also a last opportunity for the fans to see one of the greatest players. This is going to bring extra meaning to our remaining games this season." My favorite player and probably the reason I became a Pacer fan. Going to miss you Reg; thanks for the memories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Truly, a guy I loved to hate. Many memories involving Chicago v. Reggie. Great run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 I will miss Mr. Ferengi. He's a good damn player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodAsGould Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 damn my favorite player ever to play basketball is leaving i remember the games of tecmo basketball id score 105 with him and 2 points with rik smits was good team work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Showtime Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Blah. About 2 weeks ago or so when Craig Segar of TNT reported he would retire at season's send, Reggie jumped on him saying it was bad reporting, and he would tell his sister first before Craig.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalapse Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Most three poindters in NBA history, also one of the most clutch players ever right behind Jordan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerty Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 He has aways been one of the cockier dirty players in the league. But it is down played because of how he treats the media and fans. I don't know how many things i have seen him get away with but he will still go down in history as one of the best shooters to ever play the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Feb 10, 2005 -> 10:49 PM) Truly, a guy I loved to hate. Many memories involving Chicago v. Reggie. Great run. agreed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippedoutpunk Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 So am i the only guy that thinks he looks like Dhalsim from Street Fighter?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFanForever Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 I always thought he looked a bit like Skeletor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeportHeather Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 One of the best players never to win a title, much like Stockton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santo=dorf Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(flippedoutpunk @ Feb 10, 2005 -> 11:46 PM) So am i the only guy that thinks he looks like Dhalsim from Street Fighter?? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good one! I also saw Curious George in him. HAHA Reggie! "NO RING FOR YOU!!!" :finger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippedoutpunk Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Feb 11, 2005 -> 12:29 AM) "NO RING FOR YOU!!!" :finger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerhead johnson Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(qwerty @ Feb 11, 2005 -> 05:24 AM) he will still go down in history as one of the best shooters to ever play the game. Yep, I can't disagree with that. However, he was never, in any given year, one of the Top 10 or even Top 15 players in the NBA IMO. That sounds like a bold statement, but really, it's not. Reggie peaked in the early-to-mid nineties. Think about the 1992 Dream Team roster. Then think about guys who weren't included on that team: Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, etc. He's one of the best shooters ever, but he's waaay overrated. He doesn't come close IMO to being a candidate for Top 50 in NBA history. I'm not trying to s*** on the dude's memory, I'm just sayin'. I mean, come on, the dude can't even beat his sister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Feb 11, 2005 -> 12:46 AM) Yep, I can't disagree with that. However, he was never, in any given year, one of the Top 10 or even Top 15 players in the NBA IMO. That sounds like a bold statement, but really, it's not. Reggie peaked in the early-to-mid nineties. Think about the 1992 Dream Team roster. Then think about guys who weren't included on that team: Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, etc. He's one of the best shooters ever, but he's waaay overrated. He doesn't come close IMO to being a candidate for Top 50 in NBA history. I'm not trying to s*** on the dude's memory, I'm just sayin'. I mean, come on, the dude can't even beat his sister. I agree 100%. It's not like a "legend" is retiring. However, it has to be pointed out that after Mj/Magic/Bird, there hasn't been a more clutch playoff performer in the last 20-25 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backman Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 theres so many memorys surrounding reggie and im going to miss him play, but he had a good career so it all good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Feb 11, 2005 -> 05:46 PM) Yep, I can't disagree with that. However, he was never, in any given year, one of the Top 10 or even Top 15 players in the NBA IMO. That sounds like a bold statement, but really, it's not. Reggie peaked in the early-to-mid nineties. Think about the 1992 Dream Team roster. Then think about guys who weren't included on that team: Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, etc. He's one of the best shooters ever, but he's waaay overrated. He doesn't come close IMO to being a candidate for Top 50 in NBA history. I'm not trying to s*** on the dude's memory, I'm just sayin'. I mean, come on, the dude can't even beat his sister. I won't disagree with that, but to me he's one of the top clutch players in NBA history. I just can't forget "The Comeback" against the Knicks, one of the most remarkable things you'll ever see in the NBA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted February 11, 2005 Author Share Posted February 11, 2005 (edited) QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Feb 11, 2005 -> 08:32 AM) I won't disagree with that, but to me he's one of the top clutch players in NBA history. I just can't forget "The Comeback" against the Knicks, one of the most remarkable things you'll ever see in the NBA. Which one? 25 in the 4th... 8 in 8.9 seconds... etc...etc.. Edited February 11, 2005 by greasywheels121 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted February 11, 2005 Author Share Posted February 11, 2005 A little blurb from Marc Stein... We will remember his many swishes from behind the line, the killer trash he talked and those magical 8.9 seconds at Madison Square Garden. That's not all, though. When Reggie Miller retires after this season, we can all thank him for something else. The rare and special distinction of retiring with the only team he has ever played for. Miller spent most of his career as a No. 2 to No. 23 in the pantheon of Eastern Conference shooting guards, but he'll finish his career the way we wish Michael Jordan finished. In the only pro city he has ever known, that is. There were no detours to Washington or home to Los Angeles or anywhere else. If he was going to win a ring, he wanted to win it in Indianapolis. It hasn't happened yet, and chances are it's not going to happen in Miller's farewell season, given the state of the Pacers since The Malice of Auburn Hills in November. Yet perhaps this confirmation that Miller, who turns 40 in August, is leaving the game at season's end will serve as a rallying point that unites the Pacers. They still don't have the suspended Ron Artest, and it's unlikely that they're going to get Artest back, but there's little doubt the Pacers can play better than they have without him and win a round in the East playoffs. One last springtime run is the least Reggie deserves after 18 seasons of meritorious service in Indy. He was one of the clutchest franchise players around, and then a willing mentor in recent years to his successors: Jermaine O'Neal and Artest. And only John Stockton, who retired after 19 seasons in Utah, did it longer with one and only one team. Even a Knicks fan would have to be moved hearing that stat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 12, 2005 -> 01:24 AM) Which one? 25 in the 4th... 8 in 8.9 seconds... etc...etc.. 8 in 8.9 secs, without a doubt. How he could have intercepted an inbounds pass and hit a 3 still astounds me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted February 11, 2005 Author Share Posted February 11, 2005 One more article I found....Reggie's my first real favorite player to retire, so it's kind of weird. Frank and Reggie are probably always going to be my 2 most favorite athletes of all time. As always, Miller times his last shot with finesse Bob Kravitz February 11, 2005 One thing about Reggie Miller: He's always had an impeccable sense of timing. He knew the score, knew what the clock read, knew what was required of him as the time wound down to triple zeros. Now, by finally confirming the news of his not-unexpected retirement, he has done something so few athletes do well: say goodbye at the right time. Boom, Baby. Again, nothing but net. How many of the great ones leave the stage at precisely the right moment? A few leave too early, or what the rest of us deem to be too early: Jim Brown. Sandy Koufax. Barry Sanders. Many leave too late, or what the rest of us deem to be too late: Michael Jordan. Steve Carlton. Every boxer this side of Marvin Hagler. But here is Miller, getting it just right, doing the hardest thing in sports and making it look so easy. He is leaving not only a legacy of greatness and class, but the memory of an athlete who handled his diminishing role with more integrity and selflessness than anybody else in pro sports. When the epitaph of Miller's career is written, most of the paragraphs will be dedicated to his unthinkable shot-making, his hoops heroism, the nights he made utterly unforgettable. Yet, there is something else that impressed many of us, especially those of us who've been around only for the final few years of this career. He wasn't just willing to defer to the younger players; he absolutely insisted upon it. Even when you wished he would be selfish, take a game over like he did in the old days, he kept feeding Jermaine O'Neal, kept feeding Ron Artest, kept doing everything possible to allow this franchise -- his franchise -- to grow. How many great athletes are willing to step aside? Consider Jordan, who insisted until the end that he should be the man in Washington, even if that meant slowing the development of the Wizards' younger players. What Miller did these final years, what he was willing and even eager to do, says everything necessary about a player who not only deserves his number retired, but warrants a Jordan-esque statue outside Conseco Fieldhouse. If there's any regret, it's that Miller won't get his ring, especially after he chose to stay in Indiana while other aging stars went to Los Angeles and chased their dreams. The biggest regret is that this could have been the season for that title, and then it all went into the toilet that terrible night in Auburn Hills. Whatever final shot Miller might have had, it was lost the moment Artest lost his cool -- again -- and went into the stands. It does not, however, diminish for one moment what Miller has accomplished as a Pacer. A lot of other great athletes -- Ernie Banks, Charles Barkley, Dan Marino -- retired without a title, and nobody thinks any less of them. He's leaving right on time. No, he hasn't been Willie Mays, haplessly circling under a fly ball at Shea Stadium during his final days as a ballplayer. There are still, in fact, nights when Uncle Reggie is the Reggie we saw five and 10 years ago. In the days after he returned from a broken hand earlier this season, Miller seemed reborn and rejuvenated, even looking for the shots he too often passed up in the recent past, and scoring 20 or more points with some regularity. Since then, he has been largely the same player we've seen the past three or four years. Smart, useful, even great at odd moments, but far short of what he used to be, especially at a position generally populated by far younger men. This comes as no surprise, of course. We knew Miller was going to retire -- mea culpa, Craig Sager -- and we had every reason to believe he was going to retire after this season. From the day he arrived at training camp this year, Uncle Reggie was dropping hints that were as subtle as a right cross to the jaw. It's just that now that it's official -- well, sort of official, since he told his sister Cheryl, who reported it on TNT -- it hardly seems real. Isn't Reggie one of those athletes who seems like he's always been here and always will be here? To think that the face, heart and soul of this franchise will be gone within a couple of months -- maybe after the regular season, maybe after a short playoff run -- seems somehow unfathomable, even if we knew that his exit was inevitable. So once again, Miller is looking at the final seconds. It's always been the time when he has done his most inspiring work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTell Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 QUOTE(Heather Lee @ Feb 11, 2005 -> 12:19 AM) One of the best players never to win a title, much like Stockton. They are 2 players that deserve a ring and it's sad niether of them won it. I would include Malone in it too, but it seems like he's jumping on a team just to win it, and that's what he's doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTell Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 I'm going to miss Reggie, while he wasn't one of the greatest players in history, he will be a Hall of Famer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatethecubs Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 i couldnt stand miller, but i have respect for how great of a player he was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danman31 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Finally, I always hated him. I remember on a rare occassion when the Bulls would lose to the Pacers and he would always stare down players. Ahh good times considering he never won a title. He was a great shooter though. The real question is what took him so long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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