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Sports InsiderReggie Miller Makes NBA Fans Orgasm in 9 Seconds.
July 22nd 2007 11:34
Rarely do people want the spotlight, or the responsibility that comes with carrying a group of individuals on their shoulders and saying, ‘I want the consequences. I’ll take the kudos or the blame.’ People may say they want that type of burden, but rarely does a person mean it with conviction.
Than there are those who crave the biggest stage and perform appropriately. These individuals are both loved and loathed in equal measure – however, they are respected, sometimes begrudgingly.
Many in the NBA have had ice flowing through their veins and have put up their hand for the chance to be the man. Reggie Miller was one of these ballers.
The beanpole thin Miller doesn’t strike anyone as a particularly outstanding ball player. Yes, he could score like Wilt Chamberlain on a road trip, but he wasn’t a particularly good defender and was nothing more than a great shooter. However, he was great when it counted the most – playoff time. It was the postseason where he made his mark.
Miller was so clutch in the playoffs that he had about as much playoff highlights as some of the all-time greats, which is a testament at how good he was – when it mattered the most. They didn’t call the final seconds ‘Miller time’ for no reason.
In saying all of this, there is one performance that stands above all others. Miller’s final second heroics in this game were of such epic proportions that no one has ever come close
to emulating this feat. Furthermore, it was in a big game and on the biggest basketball stage in the world.
Need any help at guessing what game we’re talking about here? Try, Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the New York Knicks, at the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden.
Many who have seen this majestic work of art have called it both spectacular and horrifying in equal measure. Spectacular, because of the clutch performance of Reggie, but horrific at the utter collapse of a tough Knicks basketball team.
Miller, in a nine second span, managed to score eight points and plunge a dagger into the hearts of the New York team. This is how it happened: Reggie nails a 3-point basket with 16 seconds to play, steals the Knicks inbound pass, has the presence of mind to step back to beyond the arc, and sinks another 3-pointer tying the game at 105 with 13 seconds left on the clock.
New York enforcer, Anthony Mason summed up the feelings of the players and the New York fans: “We were shell-shocked…We went numb after his second three. We became totally disoriented. It was like a terrible nightmare that you couldn't wake up from. I still think about it today. I can laugh about it now. I wasn't laughing then, that's for sure.” (Weinberg, ESPN.com)
After Miller’s second 3-point basket, John Starks of the Knicks is fouled but promptly misses both free throws, but it seemed no big deal because the legendary big man for New York, Patrick Ewing grabs the rebound. But he manages to mangle his shot attempt, then who else but Reggie grabs the rebound and is fouled.
Ardent Knicks fan Spike Lee is courtside and Miller begins trash talking to the renowned director, hits both of his free throws, and then the Pacers take it, sparking a wild celebration.
With both the Knicks and the crowd stunned by this grandiose performance, Miller runs out of the court shouting over and over again “Choke artists! Choke artists!’
Truer words have never been uttered by an NBA player.
Today’s video is of those nine seconds. View it in awe.
Than there are those who crave the biggest stage and perform appropriately. These individuals are both loved and loathed in equal measure – however, they are respected, sometimes begrudgingly.
Many in the NBA have had ice flowing through their veins and have put up their hand for the chance to be the man. Reggie Miller was one of these ballers.
The beanpole thin Miller doesn’t strike anyone as a particularly outstanding ball player. Yes, he could score like Wilt Chamberlain on a road trip, but he wasn’t a particularly good defender and was nothing more than a great shooter. However, he was great when it counted the most – playoff time. It was the postseason where he made his mark.
Miller was so clutch in the playoffs that he had about as much playoff highlights as some of the all-time greats, which is a testament at how good he was – when it mattered the most. They didn’t call the final seconds ‘Miller time’ for no reason.
In saying all of this, there is one performance that stands above all others. Miller’s final second heroics in this game were of such epic proportions that no one has ever come close
It's Miller Time! (Image from wikipedia)
Need any help at guessing what game we’re talking about here? Try, Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the New York Knicks, at the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden.
Many who have seen this majestic work of art have called it both spectacular and horrifying in equal measure. Spectacular, because of the clutch performance of Reggie, but horrific at the utter collapse of a tough Knicks basketball team.
Miller, in a nine second span, managed to score eight points and plunge a dagger into the hearts of the New York team. This is how it happened: Reggie nails a 3-point basket with 16 seconds to play, steals the Knicks inbound pass, has the presence of mind to step back to beyond the arc, and sinks another 3-pointer tying the game at 105 with 13 seconds left on the clock.
New York enforcer, Anthony Mason summed up the feelings of the players and the New York fans: “We were shell-shocked…We went numb after his second three. We became totally disoriented. It was like a terrible nightmare that you couldn't wake up from. I still think about it today. I can laugh about it now. I wasn't laughing then, that's for sure.” (Weinberg, ESPN.com)
After Miller’s second 3-point basket, John Starks of the Knicks is fouled but promptly misses both free throws, but it seemed no big deal because the legendary big man for New York, Patrick Ewing grabs the rebound. But he manages to mangle his shot attempt, then who else but Reggie grabs the rebound and is fouled.
Ardent Knicks fan Spike Lee is courtside and Miller begins trash talking to the renowned director, hits both of his free throws, and then the Pacers take it, sparking a wild celebration.
With both the Knicks and the crowd stunned by this grandiose performance, Miller runs out of the court shouting over and over again “Choke artists! Choke artists!’
Truer words have never been uttered by an NBA player.
Today’s video is of those nine seconds. View it in awe.
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