While Michael Jordan defined the NBA in the 1990s, the story of the decade can’t be told without Reggie Miller.
The Pacers were a playoff mainstay with Miller at the forefront, engaging in numerous battles with the Knicks and even reaching the NBA Finals in 2000. All the while, Miller was rewriting franchise history in Indiana by shattering records.
Miller remains the most recognizable Pacers player of all time, but is he the best?
Here’s a look at where Miller ranks among Sporting News’ 11 greatest Pacers players of all time.
MORE: Ranking the 11 greatest Pacers players of all time
Where does Reggie Miller rank among Pacers legends?
Miller ranks No. 1 on Sporting News’ list of the 11 greatest players in Pacers history.
While there’s an argument to be made that Miller’s bevy of Pacers records is partly the result of compiling — he played 500 more games in an Indiana uniform than any other player — that longevity and commitment to the franchise matters, too.
Not only did Miller play at a high level with the Pacers, but he did so for nearly two decades while authoring the franchise’s most successful era since the ABA-NBA merger. Miller averaged better than 18 points per game in 12 of his 18 seasons, earning five All-Star selections and shooting just under 40 percent from 3-point range for his career.
Miller is the Pacers’ all-time leader in points, assists, steals, 3-pointers and games played, and many of those records seem extraordinarily difficult to break. For those reasons and more, Miller is Mr. Pacer.
MORE: Have the Pacers ever won an NBA Championship?
Reggie Miller career milestones and achievements
Here’s a complete breakdown of Miller’s career achievements.
All-Star appearances with Pacers
- 1989-90 NBA All-Star
- 1994-95 NBA All-Star
- 1995-96 NBA All-Star
- 1997-98 NBA All-Star
- 1999-00 NBA All-Star
Miller was a five-time All-Star during his 18-year career, earning an appearance in his third NBA season and adding four more. He averaged a career-high 24.6 points per game in his first All-Star season and reached the NBA Finals in his final All-Star season, which came at age 34.
All-NBA selections
- 1994-95: All-NBA Third-Team
- 1995-96: All-NBA Third-Team
- 1997-98: All-NBA Third-Team
Miller earned three All-NBA selections, landing on the third team in 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1997-98. He averaged 20.4 points per game over that four-year span highlighted by three All-NBA selections, shooting a stellar 42 percent from 3-point range.
Award voting
Miller never earned any top-10 finishes in MVP voting, only receiving down-ballot votes in 1997-98 and 1999-00.
Playoff appearances
- 15 playoff appearances
- 7 East semifinals appearances
- 6 Eastern Conference Finals appearances
- 1 NBA Finals appearance
The Pacers reached the playoffs in 15 of Miller’s 18 seasons, perennially emerging as a contender in an Eastern Conference dominated by the Bulls during the 1990s.
Miller lost in the first round nine times, but he wasn’t eliminated in the second round until his final season. Each of the Pacers’ first six second round appearances during Miller’s tenure resulted in a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, though success generally stopped there. Indiana only reached the NBA Finals once with Miller, with the Pacers falling to the mighty Lakers in 2000.
Miller appeared in 144 playoff games with the Pacers, averaging 20.6 points per game.
MORE: Inside the Pacers vs. Knicks playoff history
Hall of Fame
Miller was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, entering the hall on the same day as fellow Pacers legend Mel Daniels.
Milestones
- 25,279 points
- 2,560 3-pointers (6th all-time)
- Pacers’ all-time points leader
- Pacers’ all-time assists leader
- Pacers’ all-time steals leader
- Pacers’ all-time 3-point leader
- Pacers’ all-time games played leader
Miller holds a slew of Pacers records, including points, assists, steals, 3-pointers and games played. At 25,179 points, Miller has nearly double the points of second-ranked Rik Smits.
Miller retired as the all-time leader in 3-point field goals, though Ray Allen would go on to break his record. As the 3-point shot has proliferated throughout the NBA, four other players have since passed Miller on the all-time list. Still, Miller is credited with helping to revolutionize the game toward 3-pointers.
Reggie Miller career stats
Miller averaged at least 18 points per game in 12 of his 18 seasons, though he only crossed the 20-point threshold per game in six seasons. The Hall of Famer shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range in more than half of his NBA seasons and finished with 25,279 career points.
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | FG% | 3-pt% |
| 1987-88 | Pacers | 82 | 10.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 48.8% | 35.5% |
| 1988-89 | Pacers | 74 | 16.0 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 47.9% | 40.2% |
| 1989-90 | Pacers | 82 | 24.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 51.4% | 41.4% |
| 1990-91 | Pacers | 82 | 22.6 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 51.2% | 34.8% |
| 1991-92 | Pacers | 82 | 20.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 50.1% | 37.8% |
| 1992-93 | Pacers | 82 | 21.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 47.9% | 39.9% |
| 1993-94 | Pacers | 79 | 19.9 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 50.3% | 42.1% |
| 1994-95 | Pacers | 81 | 19.6 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 46.2% | 41.5% |
| 1995-96 | Pacers | 76 | 21.1 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 47.3% | 41.0% |
| 1996-97 | Pacers | 81 | 21.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 44.4% | 42.7% |
| 1997-98 | Pacers | 81 | 19.5 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 47.7% | 42.9% |
| 1998-99 | Pacers | 50 | 18.4 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 43.8% | 38.5% |
| 1999-00 | Pacers | 81 | 18.1 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 44.8% | 40.8% |
| 2000-01 | Pacers | 81 | 18.9 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 44.0% | 36.6% |
| 2001-02 | Pacers | 79 | 16.5 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 45.3% | 40.6% |
| 2002-03 | Pacers | 70 | 12.6 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 44.1% | 35.5% |
| 2003-04 | Pacers | 80 | 10.0 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 43.8% | 40.1% |
| 2004-05 | Pacers | 66 | 14.8 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 43.7% | 32.2% |
| Career | 1,389 | 18.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 47.1% | 39.5% |
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Is Reggie Miller a Hall of Famer?
Miller was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2012. While he was only a three-time All-NBA selection, his longevity, playoff success and revolutionary approach to the 3-point shot made him a Hall of Fame lock.
Reggie Miller best highlights
Miller famously scored eight points in nine seconds to propel the Pacers to a Game 1 win over the Knicks in the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals.
A year earlier, Miller trash-talked Knicks super-fan Spike Lee and put up the famous choking symbol as New York lost a late lead in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks would still go on to win the series.
MORE: The story behind Reggie Miller’s iconic choke gesture
Miller drilled a game-winning 3-pointer to sink the Bulls in Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, though Chicago would win the series.
Even in his mid-30s, Miller was a key cog in the Pacers’ run to the 2000 NBA Finals. He scored 34 points in a conference finals game against the Knicks to put Indiana on track for its first Finals berth since coming over from the ABA.
