In a recent segment on the ‘Gil’s Arena’ former NBA veteran Rashad McCants revealed why he has more respect for Reggie Miller’s basketball career than he does for LeBron’s.
“Yeah because Reggie didn’t have anywhere near the pieces that LeBron had during his journey,” said McCants. “And I think if Reggie would have had those pieces, his legacy would be different.”
Rashad McCants says he respects Reggie Miller’s legacy over LeBron’s.
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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 12, 2024
Reggie Miller is an All-Time great NBA player but his talent and overall accomplishments cannot hold a candle to that of the King. But the truth is that Reggie did the best he could with what he had and not everybody was able to play alongside fellow superstars during the height of their careers.
Miller, who played from 1987-2005, is widely recognized as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. As an 18-year veteran with the Pacers, Reggie was the face of the franchise for nearly two decades and was a 5x All-Star and 3x All-NBA player. The former 11th overall pick averaged 18.2 points per game for his career with a shooting efficiency of 39% from downtown.
Despite his prolonged run with the Pacers, Miller was unable to win a championship before retirement and the furthest he ever got was the NBA Finals in 2000, which brought them face-to-face with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal at the peak of their powers.
However, compared to LeBron James‘ resume, Miller’s greatest career accomplishments seem minuscule. As a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 20x All-Star, LeBron is arguably the greatest player of all time and his resume is truly unmatched across the major sports.
The key difference for McCants and others is that LeBron James had the luxury of playing alongside some generational legends. After leaving the Cavaliers in 2010, LeBron joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. They would go on to win two straight championships in 2012 and 2013.
When LeBron went back to the Cavaliers in 2014, he joined Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to form a brand new big three to keep up with rising competition across the league. Now, with Anthony Davis, LeBron James once again has the luxury of support from a superstar teammate and that’s not something Miller was ever able to enjoy during his 18-year career.
The best teammate that Reggie Miller ever had was either Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson, or Dale Davis. Throughout his tenure with the Pacers, the franchise consistently failed to surround him with the necessary support and it’s a problem that persists for many stars today.
LeBron had so much help during his championship runs and his team was the favorite in almost every series. While Reggie doesn’t have nearly the same level of playoff success, he was never given a fair chance to prove what he was capable of with a stacked team. Given what Miller had to work with on the court, it’s a miracle they even went as far as they did at all.
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