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http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/050211_reggie.html
It's Official: Reggie to Retire After 2004-05 Season
By Conrad Brunner | Feb. 11, 2005
What has been rumored, reported and denied since before this season began is now official. Or at least as official as it can be until the words come directly from the source. Reggie Miller will retire after the 2004-05 season.
The announcement was made on TNT Thursday night by his sister Cheryl, who said after speaking with her brother Wednesday "this definitely will be his last season."
Reggie Miller, as is his custom, declined comment after the Pacers' shootaround Friday morning at Conseco Fieldhouse, but he told franchise CEO and President Donnie Walsh and Coach Rick Carlisle Thursday evening the announcement was coming. Miller is expected to address the media tonight after the Pacers play the Houston Rockets.
"I'm going to miss him an awful lot," said Walsh, who drafted Miller at No. 11 overall in 1987 over the strong, vocal objections of local fans who would've preferred Indiana University star Steve Alford. "He's been a mainstay player for us for a long time. He helped elevate this franchise in the NBA. On and off the court, he was a thorough professional and that spread throughout our team at various times in his career.
"I would say he's had the best professional career to this point of anybody in the history of Indianapolis."
The most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history, Miller is No. 1 all-time in 3-pointers attempted (6,321) and made (2,506). He is the franchise's all-time leader in scoring and assists and stands 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. In his 18th season, the 39-year-old shooting guard currently is averaging 11.9 points.
He joined a franchise in 1987 that had reached the playoffs just twice in 11 NBA seasons. He leaves a team that has been in the postseason 14 times in the last 15 years, including five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and one to the NBA Finals.
Carlisle told the team before the morning shootaround of Miller's decision.
"I sense our guys understand this is a landmark day in a lot of ways," Carlisle said. "This is a decision that puts us 30-some games until (the end) of one of the great careers that we've ever seen in this league, not to mention this franchise. So it's an emotional day for a lot of us."
Austin Croshere has spent the entirety of his career with Miller and said he couldn't envision what it will be like to play without him.
"It's hard to imagine us without him," Croshere said, "but he's been doing a great job the last three or four years of slowly handing over the reigns of this team to Jermaine (O'Neal) and other players and signifying he's taking a back-seat role. He's a legend in this franchise and will not soon be forgotten."
O'Neal declined comment.
It remains to be seen how the timing of the announcement will affect the team, but the players believe it will be for the better because it brings closure to the ongoing mystery about Miller's future. The Pacers have won three of four entering tonight's game with Houston, one of three home games remaining before the All-Star break. At 23-25, the Pacers are on the fringes of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
"We'd get (different) feelings from week to week," said Fred Jones. "Some days we might look at him and see the way he's feeling and think he's not going to be with us next year. But other days, he looks like he might be here the next five years.
"Now that we know exactly what's going on, hopefully all of us will pour our hearts out for him this year and leave it all out on the floor for him."
That the Pacers were facing Houston offered something of an ironic twist. The Rockets are coached by Jeff Van Gundy and one of his assistants is Patrick Ewing. In their years with the Knicks, those two were in the middle of many of Miller's spotlight moments in Madison Square Garden.
"He's had a lot of great moments – some great, some not-so-great – against us," said Van Gundy, "but what I always liked about him is he never shied away from taking shots and living with being the goat or the hero."
Miller's two most famous clutch performances came in New York. He scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to deliver the Pacers to a victory in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. He also scored eight points in the final 8.9 seconds to give the Pacers a 107-105 victory in Game 1 of the conference semifinals in 1995.
It's Official: Reggie to Retire After 2004-05 Season
By Conrad Brunner | Feb. 11, 2005
What has been rumored, reported and denied since before this season began is now official. Or at least as official as it can be until the words come directly from the source. Reggie Miller will retire after the 2004-05 season.
The announcement was made on TNT Thursday night by his sister Cheryl, who said after speaking with her brother Wednesday "this definitely will be his last season."
Reggie Miller, as is his custom, declined comment after the Pacers' shootaround Friday morning at Conseco Fieldhouse, but he told franchise CEO and President Donnie Walsh and Coach Rick Carlisle Thursday evening the announcement was coming. Miller is expected to address the media tonight after the Pacers play the Houston Rockets.
"I'm going to miss him an awful lot," said Walsh, who drafted Miller at No. 11 overall in 1987 over the strong, vocal objections of local fans who would've preferred Indiana University star Steve Alford. "He's been a mainstay player for us for a long time. He helped elevate this franchise in the NBA. On and off the court, he was a thorough professional and that spread throughout our team at various times in his career.
"I would say he's had the best professional career to this point of anybody in the history of Indianapolis."
The most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history, Miller is No. 1 all-time in 3-pointers attempted (6,321) and made (2,506). He is the franchise's all-time leader in scoring and assists and stands 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. In his 18th season, the 39-year-old shooting guard currently is averaging 11.9 points.
He joined a franchise in 1987 that had reached the playoffs just twice in 11 NBA seasons. He leaves a team that has been in the postseason 14 times in the last 15 years, including five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and one to the NBA Finals.
Carlisle told the team before the morning shootaround of Miller's decision.
"I sense our guys understand this is a landmark day in a lot of ways," Carlisle said. "This is a decision that puts us 30-some games until (the end) of one of the great careers that we've ever seen in this league, not to mention this franchise. So it's an emotional day for a lot of us."
Austin Croshere has spent the entirety of his career with Miller and said he couldn't envision what it will be like to play without him.
"It's hard to imagine us without him," Croshere said, "but he's been doing a great job the last three or four years of slowly handing over the reigns of this team to Jermaine (O'Neal) and other players and signifying he's taking a back-seat role. He's a legend in this franchise and will not soon be forgotten."
O'Neal declined comment.
It remains to be seen how the timing of the announcement will affect the team, but the players believe it will be for the better because it brings closure to the ongoing mystery about Miller's future. The Pacers have won three of four entering tonight's game with Houston, one of three home games remaining before the All-Star break. At 23-25, the Pacers are on the fringes of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
"We'd get (different) feelings from week to week," said Fred Jones. "Some days we might look at him and see the way he's feeling and think he's not going to be with us next year. But other days, he looks like he might be here the next five years.
"Now that we know exactly what's going on, hopefully all of us will pour our hearts out for him this year and leave it all out on the floor for him."
That the Pacers were facing Houston offered something of an ironic twist. The Rockets are coached by Jeff Van Gundy and one of his assistants is Patrick Ewing. In their years with the Knicks, those two were in the middle of many of Miller's spotlight moments in Madison Square Garden.
"He's had a lot of great moments – some great, some not-so-great – against us," said Van Gundy, "but what I always liked about him is he never shied away from taking shots and living with being the goat or the hero."
Miller's two most famous clutch performances came in New York. He scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to deliver the Pacers to a victory in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. He also scored eight points in the final 8.9 seconds to give the Pacers a 107-105 victory in Game 1 of the conference semifinals in 1995.
