Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller's defining moment arrived on May 7, 1995, in the second quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Madison Square Garden. In 8.9 seconds, he scored 8 points — two three-pointers and two free throws — while Spike Lee watched courtside, turning a 6-point deficit into a 2-point Indiana lead. That sequence is arguably the most compressed statement of individual clutch performance in NBA playoff history.

Miller built an 18-year career in Indiana around that same principle: in late-game situations, with defenders locked in and the pressure at maximum, his release was quicker, his decision-making was clearer, and his percentage went up. He finished his career as the fourth all-time three-point leader with 2,560 — a record that stood until Ray Allen surpassed it in 2011. His 39.5% career three-point percentage over that volume gave defenses no viable concession: playing him tight created driving lanes; giving him space meant open looks from well beyond the arc.

Miller graduated from UCLA, where he played alongside his sister Cheryl Miller — herself a women's basketball Hall of Famer — before Indiana selected him 11th overall in 1987. He spent all 18 seasons with the Pacers, making him the franchise's most identifiable player. His rivalry with the New York Knicks and Spike Lee became a cultural touchstone that outlasted the basketball it was attached to and remains one of the most discussed player-fan dynamics in the league's history.