Reggie Miller awaits Hall of Fame induction
By Mike Wells, The Indianapolis Star
Reggie Miller entered the NBA in 1987 as a lanky 6-foot-7 kid with an unorthodox jump shot and myriad questions about him.
Could he overcome character issues rumored about him at UCLA?
Could his frail body handle the rigors of the long NBA season?
Could he do more than just make jump shots?
Miller answered those questions and more in his highlight-filled 18-year career with the Indiana Pacers. Now, 25 years after being the No. 11 pick in the 1987 draft, Miller is headed to the Basketball Hall of the Fame.
“Wow,” Miller said recently. “I think I’m starting to feel nervous. I know that’s surprising for me to say. It’s because I can see the train coming at me, the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Miller, who retired in 2005, will be joined Friday night by another former Pacers star, ABA great Mel Daniels, as the 2012 class is officially inducted during ceremonies in Springfield, Mass.
Miller will be escorted by his personal Dream Team of fellow Hall of Famers: Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley and Cheryl Miller, his older sister.
Miller, 47, missed the cut to make the Hall of Fame in 2011, his first year of eligibility. But going in with Daniels, a mentor and close friend, makes up for that slight, he said.
“This is going to be a great day if you are an Indiana Pacer fan,” Miller said. “I never thought about the Hall of Fame while I was playing or even once I retired. I just knew I had a pretty good career. Now, it’s here. Talk about being nervous.”
Putting the Pacers on the map
Miller’s No. 31 is retired in the rafters at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
His legend is over the Pacers’ record books.
Miller is the franchise’s all-time leader in 13 categories. He averaged 18.2 points, with a career-high 24.6 during the 1989-90 season. He was the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made until Ray Allen broke the record during the 2010-11 season.
Miller didn’t become the NBA’s 14th all-time leading scorer just because of his athleticism. In fact, he wasn’t considered athletic by NBA standards.
He put up those numbers by having a … [For more on Reggie Miller awaits Hall of Fame induction, click here.]
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