- Reggie Miller played 18 years in the NBA, all for the Indiana Pacers
- In 1997, someone broke into Miller’s home and burnt it down
- Miller was going to retire, but new head coach Larry Bird convinced him to return to the Pacers
Reggie Miller was one of the best shooting guards in the NBA during the 1990s. It appeared that every year Miller was getting better, but despite this increase in production every year, Miller almost retired before the 1997-98 season.
The reason for this had nothing to do with basketball but his personal life. On May 15, 1997, Miller’s Indianapolis home burned to the ground, destroying all of Miller’s personal belongings.
Per New York Times:
“A fire destroyed a $2.9 million house owned by the Indiana Pacers’ REGGIE MILLER early Thursday. Neither Miller nor his wife, MARITA, was at the 14,000-square-foot home in Fishers, Ind., when the blaze broke out. The fire’s cause has not been determined. The home at Geist Reservoir, northeast of Indianapolis, was undergoing renovations; the Millers were preparing to move in.”
It was a blessing that Miller and his wife at the time were not in the home, but this didn’t prevent the incident from being a tragedy. Miller lost most of his personal memorabilia, including his wife’s $45,000 wedding ring.
It turns out the fire was set on purpose, as the Miller home was burglarized and destroyed by arson. Indiana’s most popular professional athlete had now become a victim by one of his own.
Miller had enough of living in Indiana and living in the spotlight that comes with being an NBA player. He wanted out.
“I had had it,” Miller explained. “The fire beat me down a little bit, not knowing who did it, not ever finding who did it, and I didn’t know if I wanted to stick around and rebuild.”
This would be gut-wrenching, not knowing who torched your home. To this day, no one has been caught in connection to the arson of Miller’s home.
On top of this tragedy, Miller’s Pacers came off the 1996-97 season, where the team missed the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. Also, the Pacers forced their coach, Larry Brown, to resign.
Everything looked as if it was falling apart for the Pacers. Why would Miller want to return?
Then, the Pacers made an incredible decision. They signed their native son and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird as their new head coach.
(Starts 21:28)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XVTUijFbUo
“He [Larry Bird] said he understands what I’m going through. He’ll respect any decision I decide to do. But he says, ‘But I was going to say one thing. This city and myself, needs you.
“This is Larry Legend, one of the greatest athletes of our time, telling me, who hasn’t won sh*t, we need you here.”
Miller listened to his new head coach and returned to the Pacers. As for the 1997-98, it would go down as one of the best seasons in Indiana Pacers and Reggie Miller’s history.
Overall, Miller played until the 2004-05 season. He played 18 years in the NBA, finishing with averages of 18.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. When Miller retired, he was the all-time leader in three-pointers made with 2560.
Reggie Miller’s 1997-98 Season
When Reggie Miller returned to the Indiana Pacers for the 1997-98 season, he, along with new head coach Larry Bird, led the franchise to its best record at the time. Indiana finished with a 58-24 record.
This was second-best in the Eastern Conference, only behind the Chicago Bulls. The Pacers faced the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, falling in seven games.
Miller had a great season. He averaged 19.5 points per game on just 13.3 field goal attempts. The Pacers legend also shot 47.7% from the field and 42.9% from three, which was a career-high.
Reggie Miller may not have won an NBA championship in his career, but that doesn’t take away from his greatness. Miller was one of the most clutch players the game has ever seen, and he earned a deserving spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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