Reggie Miller – No. 776

Reggie Miller is a retired American professional basketball player and current NBA commentator. He played his entire 18-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers (1987-2005). Miller was known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in pressure situations and most notably against the New York Knicks, for which he earned the nickname “Knick Killer.” When he retired, he held the record for most career three-point field goals made; he is currently second on the list behind Ray Allen. A five-time All-Star selection, Miller led the league in free throw accuracy five times and won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Pacers retired his No. 31 in 2006. Miller was born on this day in 1965.

I will never forget Miller’s eight points in 8.9 seconds in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals to defeat the Knicks and Patrick Ewing. I was watching that game on May 7, 1995 as a 16-year-old obsessed with basketball. Aside from Michael Jordan, most of my favorite players were three-point specialists, as that was often my role when I played team basketball. Another memorable Miller moment was his two-handed choke sign (and his infamous one-handed choke/nut grab taunt) directed at irritating Knicks fan Spike Lee during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. Here are a couple of relevant matchups: Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee and Reggie Miller vs. Patrick Ewing.