Reggie Miller thrilled to be back in Indianapolis, where he can watch his beloved Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton
INDIANAPOLIS — Reggie Miller is synonymous with Indiana basketball. The California native was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the 1987 NBA Draft, and he never looked back on his West Coast past.
Miller played his entire career in the Circle City. 18 seasons. 1,389 regular season games, and 144 more in the playoffs. 50,000 minutes. The five-time All-Star became an icon in the state of Indiana thanks to his fearless play and clutch moments. He helped guide the Pacers into relevance and forward to the NBA Finals.
This weekend, Miller is back where his legendary career took place. Indianapolis is hosting NBA All-Star weekend, making it the home of NBA proceedings all weekend long. The best players, commentators, and events are in Indy for the festivities.
"It's always fun to come home, especially for an event like this," Miller said Friday in downtown Indy. "It's always good to come home."
The group of broadcasters includes Miller and his team at TNT. The Hall Of Fame shooting guard agreed to a multiyear renewal with TNT Sports' networks that will keep him on those platforms for a total of more than 25 years. It also puts Miller on the call for multiple All-Star events this weekend.
He's been a fan of his former home being the center of the NBA world. "We know how to do these types of events," Miller said of Indianapolis, calling the basketball state hosting a "slam dunk."
Miller has been on the call for Pacers games in the past. He has returned to Indianapolis on multiple occasions since his playing career ended in 2005, including for events in Gainbridge Fieldhouse unrelated to his broadcasting duties. He keeps up with a few Pacers staffers even in retirement.
That, combined with his playing days, makes Miller more than qualified to speak on Indianapolis' abilities to host events. He was still in college the last time the city hosted the All-Star game, but he knows this area well.
Speaking to reporters in a downtown hotel, the 58-year old shared more about why he's so bullish on the city and its ability to feature big NBA ceremonies. "The restaurants are all down here... everything, you can get to by foot," Miller said, noting that the city flows well. He loves that everything is near each other and called Indianapolis a "great" host.
His son, Ryker, was present for his dads conversation with media members. At the end of the press conference, Ryker answered a few questions about his dad and current NBA players. He handled it well, even sharing stories about previous interactions with Stephen Curry.
Reggie, meanwhile, fielded several questions about the current Pacers team. He keeps up with the entire league still — he has to for his job. But he follows his beloved franchise anyway — he inadvertently threw in a "we" when talking about the Pacers.
Like everyone, Miller is blown away by star guard Tyrese Haliburton's talent. The All-Star point guard has been one of the best players in the NBA this season, and his performances have Indiana ahead of schedule in their path toward contention. They are currently in playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
Former Indiana Pacers guard and current TNT broadcaster Reggie Miller speaks to the media in Indianapolis on February 16, 2024. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Tony East)
"He brings people together," Miller said of Haliburton. "If you watch Tyrese play, it's never been about him. It's been about us. 'What can we do to win tonight?'," he added. The NBA 75th Anniversary Team member said that he knows how talented the young guard is and can be.
His affinity doesn't end with Haliburton. Miller also said he "would love to have played with a player like Aaron Nesmith," and that he thinks the Pascal Siakam trade will upgrade the team while allowing them to play more like the Golden State Warriors if they desire. Miller is a strong believer in the current Pacers group.
They are 31-25 and ascending in the Eastern Conference. Most predicted the Pacers would finish at or near .500 this season, but they appear to be on their way to a winning season despite much of their core being young.
"It's an upward trajectory in my opinion," Miller said of the current Pacers team. "They play a fun brand of basketball, because they play hard and they work hard... I think they're on their way up."
Because of that growth, he believes the Pacers could be playoff bound. He would "love" to see them in the postseason and thinks the experience, and pressure, can help the squad. It will also be the next step for Haliburton's career arc to reach the postseason and deal with those expectations. "If I'm them, I'm saying 'why not us?'," Miller said of Indiana's playoff thinking.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle knows Reggie well. Very well. Carlisle was an assistant coach for the Pacers for three seasons in the late 1990s, including the 1999-00 season which saw Indiana go to the NBA Finals. A few years later, Carlisle was the head coach for the blue and gold, and Miller was still a player. He coached the star guard for two years before Miller retired.
Carlisle is back with the blue and gold now after 13 years with other franchises. He's in charge once again, and Miller says they text often and keep up to this day. Carlisle has impressed Miller by being able to adapt to both older and young rosters.
"I can't tell you guys how much, in terms of my personal development as a player, [Carlisle] had on me," Miller said, explaining that the coach helped him with footwork and counters all the time in the past. They always focused on the big picture. "It's kind of been good to see how he's been re-energized with this younger team... it's kind of cool to see."
It's a happy reunion for Reggie Miller in Indianapolis. He's elated with the direction of the city and the team he used to play for, and he gets to be a part of it all this weekend with the All-Star game in town. It's a full-circle experience for the UCLA product, who remembers his first All-Star game well from 1990. He was starstruck. Now, he himself is a legend in Indianapolis.
"That's what I remember the most was being humbled walking into that locker room," Miller said of that All-Star experience. "You still get up for this game." People view Miller in that light now thanks to his fabled career in Indiana.
In many ways, Miller is the Pacers. The franchise is what it is now because of his legendary performances from the 1980s to the 2000s. He loves where the current team is headed. At the same time, he's thrilled to be back in Indianapolis and be a part of what Indiana is building, both as an NBA event host and as an NBA roster.
Miller called Indiana basketball 'family' on Friday. The way he talks about the Pacers, and Indianapolis, makes it clear he's still a part of that family.
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