• Reggie Miller was drafted No. 11 in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers
• Miller is considered the greatest Pacer ever and had an 18-year career as a one-team player
• He went into draft night expecting to go No. 16 and be drafted by the 76ers
Reggie Miller made his name as the greatest shooter in NBA history before being supplanted by the likes of Ray Allen and Stephen Curry. Miller left an indelible impact on the game with his 18-year stint on the Indiana Pacers.
That almost never came to be, as Miller expected that he would fall to the No. 16 pick in the 1987 Draft to team up with Charles Barkley on the Philadelphia 76ers.
“In fact it it was told me that it was going to happen in 1987 when I was visiting teams. I can’t remember the owner or GM [Sixers] at the time, but they were like, ‘We’re selecting you at 16’… That was it, I was like. ‘Great! I get to play with Sir Charles, this going to be awesome.’ Indiana had different ideas at number 11, and they snatched me up. I thought for the longest I was going to be a Philadelphia 76er at the 16th selection.”
Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley we’re almost teammates on the @sixers, says Miller:
“In fact it it was told me that it was going to happen in 1987 when I was visiting teams. I can’t remember the owner or Gm [Sixers] at time, but they were like we’re… pic.twitter.com/MfEzu0lU0a
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) August 27, 2023
Miller went at No. 11 and changed the Pacers franchise forever. In 18 seasons, Miller averaged 18.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
He led the franchise to their solitary NBA Finals in 2000 and probably would’ve been a champion if his Pacers weren’t tormented by the existence of the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference during the ’90s.
The 1987 Draft Is One Of The Most Underrated Of All Time
The 1987 NBA Draft had a lot of heavy hitters in their lineup. The No. 1 overall pick as future MVP and NBA Champion David Robinson, who went to the San Antonio Spurs. the picks after him didn’t pan out in the NBA, but No. 5 pick Scottie Pippen most definitely did, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Kenny Smith, Kevin Johnson, Olden Plynice, and Horace Grant were also top-10 picks, followed up by Miller at 11. Muggsy Bogues was drafted at No. 12 while one of the greatest passers in NBA history, Mark Jackson, was picked up at No. 18. Even Reggie Lewis was the 22nd pick in this Draft, showing how incredibly stacked it was.
Despite the talent, the 76ers ended up with German center Christian Welp, whose NBA career ended in under five years. If they had gotten Miller, or even a Mark Jackson instead in that draft, Barkley likely wouldn’t have left to lead the Phoenix Suns to a Finals appearance and emerge as an MVP.
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