The Greatest Villain Of All-Time.
By TIM DAVID HARVEY
Let us take you back to the golden era of the 90's. We're just shy of summer and the Big Apple hasn't fallen far from the playoff tree in the winter of the NBA season. We're in New York City at a time where you can see the Empire State clear and Central Park is growing in amazing abundance. We're in the heart of Manhattan, just a few blocks away from the earth's core of Times Square. Like shimmers of electric light there at night, a sea of orange and blue is heading towards Penn Station and the eden of basketball; Madison Square Garden. All those Knickerbocker jerseys running deep and ascending the escalators towards the nosebleeds, live and breathe and die for New York basketball. All the Knick 33's and 3's expect it all, they just didn't figure for the one kid wearing the Indiana Pacers jersey.
It's Miller time!
The number 31 to be specific. Sitting courtside Spike Lee see's it. Who Spike? Who's that bald headed guard owning New York and M.S.G. like it was his own? He sure doesn't look like Jordan but right now it looks like he could toe the out of bounds line with him. This time and tide has a familiar wash for nighties New York no matter the year, but our man isn't Basketball's hero Mike. It's the greatest villain the league has ever seen; Reggie Miller. More of a villain than Vince to Toronto, or Kobe to Shaq in their and the Lakers prime. The Joker of the NBA who played his cards right, going left from the usual poster boy culture of the NBA and therefore a hero in his own right.
It's Miller time!
You just have to love the man some hated. A man who sank daggers into the opposition. A man who stared down Spike Lee and shot down the Knicks. A man who would make choke gestures but would never even cough himself. A man who is only rivaled in clutch by the greatest of all time. A man-who as one of the best ever himself-is rivaled only by former coach Larry Bird, former Finals foe Robert Horry and record breaker Ray Allen in behind the arc last second heroics. A man who lived by the three as others died by his sweet stroke hand. Let the goose neck hang, "this Turkey's done" they would cry as Reggie let fly and put forks in teams and games in refrigerators just as Chick Hearn had the jello cooling.
It's Miller time!
Spike Lee himself (who deserves his own place one day) could almost introduce this Knick killer to the Naismith Hall Of Fame, as Reggie follows recent nighties superstars Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Chris Mullin and of course Jordan down the corridors of basketball greatness joining the smooth as silk Jaamal Wilkes, tough as nails Don Nelson and a class above the rest. Pound for pound (albeit a little scrawny) and 30 for 30 like a classic ESPN documentary, Reggie has earned and deserves his welcome place here. The team destroyer with one hell of a jacket now earns the heavenly feel of those million dollar arms going through the sleeve of the H.O.F. blazer. The man who turned the Market Square Arena into a cattle farm with his perfect precision has found victory once again. The basket was like a magnet to Miller and even though that repelled him from some his master stroke has now attracted him to the master class of basketball today in 2012.
It's Miller time!
The marked man was just that good on the clock, from 24 seconds to 48 minutes in 82 games until the final Finals buzzer rang out. Catching fire like 'The Hunger Games' sequel this 'dark knight' of the league owned this 'battle royale' with avengance and now it's his year. Now the it's time for the master of seconds and he can have all the time in the world to make his speech. Then again this man's said more in fewer, more precious moments before. Let's go back to nighties New York and turn the clock back to 18.7.
It's Miller time!
We're in the Mecca, it's '95 and Indiana are down 6. Reggie takes the inbounds pass off presenter Mark Jackson and drills the three, before then stealing the inbounds pass off Knick Anthony Mason and dribbling behind the arc for another three-ball drilling. Then after two clutch free-throws Reggie Miller won the game for Indiana, 107-105 in less than 10 seconds. 8 for 8, pound for pound this guy was just that epicly good and that's why he's one of the greatest of the greatest. The waning seconds was his time and that's what makes all of these 24 hours his day.
It's Miller time!
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