My Own Personal Mr. Clutch

My love affair with the sport of basketball began twenty years ago. In the mid-80’s, it wasn’t Boston Celtics’ superstar Larry Bird or the Los Angeles Lakers’ one and only Magic Johnson who hooked me on the game. It wasn’t Chicago Bulls' sensation Michael Jordan either.

The player that turned me into the full-fledged basketball addict that I am today was a skinny kid who played shooting guard for the UCLA Bruins.

His name—Reggie Miller.

Growing up, I was also a ridiculously skinny kid. As a young hoopster, I wanted someone to look up to. When I saw Miller play, it was love at first sight. He immediately became my favorite basketball player.

Around that same time, Indiana Pacers GM Donnie Walsh also discovered Miller. The Pacers selected Miller with the 11th pick in the 1987 NBA Draft.

At the time, neither decision was popular.

My elementary school basketball teammates didn’t understand my identification with Miller. They especially didn’t understand my identification with the Pacers. My teammates were all Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls fans. When they practiced in their backyards and driveways they always pretended to be Larry, Magic and Mike. I was always Reggie. I became an Indiana Pacers fan because I was a Reggie Miller fan.

Meanwhile, Pacers fans didn’t understand Walsh’s decision to draft Miller. They favored Indiana Hoosiers guard Steve Alford. Pacers fans made this blatantly clear when they booed the selection on draft day.

Still, both Walsh and I remained steadfastly confident in our selections. We both knew that Miller was special, both personally and professionally. We just didn’t know how special. The road that Reggie Miller took to becoming a great player, and even a greater person, is truly amazing.

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As a young child growing up in Riverside, California, Miller was forced to wear Forrest Gump-like leg braces to correct a hip deformity that caused severely splayed feet. Due to Miller’s condition, doctors feared that he might never walk correctly, let alone run. After four years, he finally shed the leg braces. He was not only walking, he was running.

Like Forrest, Reggie grew into a man who inspired many.

Now that Miller could finally run, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older siblings and become a great athlete. Miller’s brother, Darryl, was a professional baseball player. His sister, Tammy, played volleyball at Cal-State Fullerton. Another sister, Cheryl, is a basketball Hall of Famer and possibly the greatest female player of all time. Emerging out from underneath of the shadows of such fine athletes was no easy task. Nonetheless, during Reggie’s days as a UCLA Bruin he accomplished just that.

At UCLA, Miller became a star. During his sophomore season he helped the Bruins win the 1985 NIT Championship. As a senior, he led them to the 1987 Pac-10 Conference Championship. Miller exited college with a history degree and as the Bruins second all-time scorer, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite a magnificent career as a collegian, the general consensus was that Miller wasn’t athletic or durable enough to excel in the NBA.

Walsh and the Pacers vehemently disagreed with this popular opinion. The franchise selected Miller and never looked back.

Miller started for the Pacers during his NBA rookie season. 1987-88, and averaged 10 points a game. By Miller’s third season, 1989-1990, he had increased his points-per-game average to 24.6 and was one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. He also made his first NBA All-Star Game appearance in 1990.

Even though Miller had enjoyed tremendous personal success during the early stages of his NBA career, he had yet to attract the national spotlight. That all changed in 1994. He put on a performance for the ages in the NBA Playoffs against the Knicks. It was the first of many clutch “Miller Moments”…

Miller Moments

1994 Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 Miller and the Pacers were on the road facing the heavily favored New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Miller—who seemed to be draining three-pointers all the way from New York City’s Times Square—scored an unfathomable 25 fourth-quarter points, leading the Pacers to a 93-86 comeback victory. He ended up scoring 39 points. The legend of this game has been magnified due to the legendary courtside war of words exchanged by Miller and die-hard Knicks fan and filmmaker Spike Lee. Spike Lee on Miller, “When he’s old and in a wheelchair, they’re going to roll him out onto the (Madison Square) Garden court and he’s still going to hit threes."

1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game One Miller and his Pacers were back at the Garden, facing the rival Knicks. Down 6 points with less than 17 seconds remaining, Miller scored an impossible 8 points, two threes and two free throws, in 8.9 seconds to give the Pacers a remarkable 107-105 victory. This outcome left the Knicks, Knicks fans, and courtside Lee speechless. When people recall Miller’s playing days, this is the game they most often talk about.

1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 Miller’s Pacers were down 94-93 to the Chicago Bulls with less than three seconds remaining. Miller shook free of Michael Jordan’s defense, caught an inbounds pass, and nailed a dagger three to give the Pacers the 96-94 win. Afterwards, the home crowd inside the Pacers’ Market Square Arena exploded as Miller and his teammates celebrated. "You might make your first 10 shots and everything is going great, but when the game is on the line, those other 10 don't mean anything." – Reggie Miller

2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 5 Miller almost single-handedly eliminated the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets in the final game of this best-of-5 series. First, Miller banked in a 40-foot buzzer-beating three to tie the game and send it into overtime. Next, the vertically-challenged Miller somehow dunked on three Nets late in the first overtime to extend the game again. Due to no fault of Miller’s, the Pacers eventually lost after a second overtime period.

Miller Moments (Video Link)

The abovementioned are just a few of the seemingly countless moments that made Reggie Miller synonymous with the word “clutch.” However, he will not only be remembered for these moments, but also in the record books:

He made the NBA All-Star Game five times.

He won a gold medal playing for the USA’s Dream Team II in the 1996 Olympics.

He averaged 18.2 points per a game during his career.

His scoring average increased to 20.6 during the playoffs.

He is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made.

He is 12th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Another way to evaluate Miller’s career is by the success his Pacers enjoyed.

Until Miller’s arrival, the Pacers only made the NBA Playoffs twice—bounced quickly both times. During Miller’s career, the Pacers made the playoffs 15 of his 18 seasons, making the Eastern Conference Finals six times and the franchise’s only NBA Finals appearance.

The loyalty Miller showed the Indiana Pacers is absent in professional sports today. Only ex-Utah Jazz PG John Stockton played more games while playing for one team during the span of an entire NBA career. The Pacers rewarded Miller with a Bentley and the honor of being the only NBA player whose jersey number has ever been retired by the franchise.

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Miller’s accomplishments on the basketball court only tell half of the story. He is just as “clutch” of a person.

People haven’t always been kind to Miller. In 1997, his $2.9 million dream house burned to the ground. The disaster is still suspected to be the result of a hate crime. He’s also received numerous death threats from deranged fans over the years. Nonetheless, Miller has responded with nothing but generosity.

Miller donated considerable time and hundreds of thousands of dollars to victims of the 9/11 tragedy in New York. He is one of the nation’s foremost philanthropists supporting burn and arson victims. These charitable efforts, along with charitable work in the Indianapolis area, won Miller the NBA’s 2003-04 J. Walter Kennedy Community Service Award.

Miller holding his NBA Community Service Award.

It turns out that Reggie Miller was the perfect choice for both Walsh and me. Walsh found a franchise cornerstone for nearly two decades. I found a hero who inspires me personally on a daily basis. Reggie touched Walsh. Reggie touched the skinny kid who was looking for a hero. And Reggie touched legions of fans worldwide. He is the reason many of us have such an allegiance to the Pacers.

None of us will ever forget the story of a skinny handicapped kid who couldn’t run as a child, but ultimately ran circles around the competition during a career that will surely end at the Basketball Hall of Fame. We will never forget how “clutch” Reggie was, both on and off the court. We will never forget the story of Reggie Miller, one of the greatest personal triumphs the sports world has ever known.

Last week I wrote this blog post, “David Blaine: Pushing the boundaries of sport”, that became somewhat controversial within the Fox Sports Blog community. Some readers liked the post, while others did not. Some readers understood my point of view and what I was trying to accomplish. Those readers tended to enjoy the piece. Others did not understand my aim and voiced their disapproval. One reader even went as far as calling the post “asinine” and the “most absurd and insulting thing” that he had ever read. At first, some of the criticism and comments got to me. Then I remembered an exchange between Matt Damon and Robin Williams from Good Will Hunting that really put things into perspective for me…

Sean: Thought about what you said to me the other day, about my painting. Stayed up half the night thinking about it. Something occurred to me... fell into a deep peaceful sleep, and haven't thought about you since. Do you know what occurred to me?

Will: No.

Sean: You're just a kid, you don't have the faintest idea what you're talkin' about.

They may not be kids, but you get the point. A few people read my blog and thought that they had me pegged, just like Will thought he had Sean pegged after seeing his painting. Not hardly. Look at this comment for example:

“Some people are just smart enough to be jaded, because they actually pay attention to the world around them, and don't take themselves and others so seriously.”

Smart enough to be jaded? That is the most sad and pathetic statement that I have ever heard. I live in L.A. and because of that people totally expect me to be jaded. I am the farthest thing from being jaded. That’s why I am out here, pursuing and living my dreams. I believe in myself . I believe this is truly the land of opportunity. I believe that God made us to be extraordinary, not extra ordinary. I also believe that not everybody is simply in it for the money. Some of us, hopefully many of us, are doing what we do strictly because we are passionate about our craft. Most of all, I believe that great things can, and often do, happen.

As a sports fan I share a very similar philosophy. How can I possibly be jaded after what I have witnessed?

George Mason making the final four. Tom Brady, a sixth round draft pick, out-Montana-ing Joe himself. The 1980 U.S. Hockey Team. Michael Jordan, who was cut from his high school team, going on to become the greatest basketball player of all time. Kerri Strug. Cal Ripken’s iron-man streak of playing in like a million games in a row. The Doug Flutie hail mary. Kobe scoring 81. Christian Laettner’s catch-and-shoot buzzer beater. Derrick Thomas recording seven sacks in one game as a tribute to his late father. The improbable 2003 World Champion Florida Marlins (special thanks to Steve Bartman). John Elway’s drive. And most of all, autistic high school basketball manger Jason McElwain finally getting his shot and raining threes on his way to putting up 20 points in a mere four minutes.

And that’s just from the top of my head. If that’s not enough, I have two examples that are a little more intimate. One of my boyhood hero, and another one that I witnessed in person.

The Knick-Killer Thriller

The first example is my boyhood hero Reggie Miller. On May 7, 1995 Miller—who had to wear Forrest Gump brackets on his legs as a boy to correct leg deformities—pulled off the most amazing thing that I have ever seen take place on a basketball court. What makes it even more amazing is that he accomplished this on basketball’s biggest stage, Madison Square Garden aka “The World’s Most Famous Arena”, in a playoff game. In the waning seconds of the game, Miller’s Indiana Pacers trailed their biggest rivals, the New York Knicks, by six. Everyone thought that the game was over. Everyone in the crowd. Everyone watching the game on TV. Everyone playing in the game. Everyone. Everyone except Miller.

BAM! He nailed a three. Then he stole the ensuing inbounds pass from Knicks guard Greg Anthony… BLAM! Another triple. Suddenly, the game was tied. Spike Lee and every other Knicks fan in the house had been silenced. Knicks guard John Starks was fouled. He stepped up to the line and… missed the first free throw… and the second. Choke job. Miller somehow snagged the rebound away from all of the big fellas underneath the glasss and was fouled in the process. He chalked-up his hands, stepped up to the line and... nailed them both. Game over. Miller scored an insane 8 points in 8.9 second to lead the Pacers to an impossible victory that allowed them to ultimately win the series.

Most guys pop in Rocky I-IV (I am still in denial about the V and upcoming VI installments) when they need inspiration. Not me. I hop online and watch Reggie Miller go nuts. It reminds me that it’s truly never over until that last tick comes off of the game clock, both in the world of sports and in our own lives.

The Hall Way to a Sea of Red

Being born in Kansas City and raised in Missouri, I am a Kansas City Chiefs fanatic. Regardless of where I have lived since, which is all over this country, I always make it back to Arrowhead Stadium at least once every year. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Chiefs’ venue, you’d be hard-pressed to find a louder stadium with better fans anywhere in the NFL. That place is an 80,000-people-strong sea of red that blows the decimal meter to smithereens.

Last season the first game I went to was the fourth game against the Philadelphia Eagles. My brother Zach, an equally devoted Chiefs fan and a Kansas City resident at the time, had even scooped up two fifth-row endzone seats for us. We were jacked up to say the least. Our Chiefs were looking strong at 2-1 (the lone loss being at Denver on Monday Night Football) with both of our running backs, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson, rolling. The Eagles were also 2-1 and had gone to the Super Bowl and nearly won the year before. This was a big game. The stadium was rockin’.

The Chiefs received the opening kickoff and came out on fire. Priest was having his way with the Philly defense and QB Trent Green and WR Eddie Kennison were hooking up right and left. The Chiefs built a 17-0 lead and worked the home fans into a frenzy. Zach and I were four big beers deep and were playfully jawing with some pretty cool Philly Fans that were wearing custom-printed Eagles “81” jerseys with nameplates that read “Misin-Linc” (which seem completely ridiculous now after Terrell Owens’ exodus from the “City of Brotherly Love”, but I digress).

Then the Chiefs blocked a 40-yard field goal and got the ball back with good field position. We thought the game was over. Then on 2-and-14 Green went to the well one too many times. He completely telegraphed a pass to Kennison that Eagles CB Sheldon Brown picked off and took to the house. The score was now 17-7. The crowd was dead quiet. My brother and I put both our beers and our heads down. Why, Trent? Why? This was a game again. The “Misin-Linc” crew was suddenly riled-up and talking smack to essentially the whole stadium (Especially to this vocal Chief’s fan who they kept calling Freddie Mitchell. Who, other than being black and having cornrows, looked nothing like Fred-Ex whatsoever.). We were worried. The defending NFC Champs were back within striking distance, and Philly was going to receive the ball to open up the second half. However, with 5 minutes left in the second quarter, there was still ample time for our Chiefs to score again and regain control of the game

It wouldn’t even take that long. Before my bro and I could even pick back up our beers, Chiefs Pro Bowl Return Specialist Dante Hall had broken the ankles of a few Eagles special teamers and was streaking down the field towards our endzone. When he hit the Eagles’ thirty-yard line we knew he was gone. We were already in the aisles going ballistic. Us, this Mexican dude and “Fred-Ex” were celebrating with each other like we had been best friends for twenty years. We were running up and down the aisles slapping hands with other Chiefs’ fans. I saw a soccer mom high-five a NASCAR fan. I saw a middle-aged yuppie embrace an iced-out teen. I saw a sixty-year-old man crowd surfing. While I was rejoicing I ran down the aisle and saw Dante Hall doing his patented “X-Factor” celebration while exclaiming “We’re Kansas City, baby!”

He was right, during that moment there were no colors, creeds, religions or sexes that separated the crowd from befriending one another. We were all the exact same thing—Kansas City red.

Blaine Revisited

I have witnessed countless moments like this both on TV and in person. I have seen sporting events, concerts, films, real life events, etc… both bring people of all walks together and inspire them. This is why I disagree with many of the comments that were made in response to my David Blaine post. As sports fans we all identify and connect with different players, teams and storylines. Those of us who are not jaded all believe in something. What that something is tends to depend on who we are as people. While Lance Armstrong may have touched a large portion of the world (and myself as well) by overcoming cancer to win one Tour de France after another, I personally connect with Blaine more. That was called “asinine.” Is it asinine that I relate to Blaine being inspired by his mother’s bout with cancer (my mother survived breast cancer)? Is it asinine that because of this inspiration that I, like Blaine, strive to be fearless in the pursuit of my dreams? Is it asinine that I also believe that the human mind, body and soul can accomplish amazing feats? No, no, and no.

That is one of the greatest things about both life and sports—there is something out there for each of us. There are so many stories out there that we can each connect with something. That’s what I love about sports blogging. Thousands among thousands of points of views, none are wrong. As for who inspires me sports wise, again it’s Reggie Miller, Dante Hall, and Jason McElwain. Three athletes that believe that they can overcome any obstacle they face, whether it be size, strength, physical disabilities or time left on a clock. Despite what one poster suggested, I do not idolize these athletes. I simply admire and look up to them and am man enough to admit that. They inspire me. So does my Mother, Blaine, Jay-Z, Barack Obama, Peter Jackson, Bono, Philip Seymour Hoffman, etc… but that’s just me.

Jason McElwain after his legendary performance... “I was really hotter than a pistol!”

I believe that people can be brought together. I believe that people can accomplish great feats. Most of all, I believe that sports often inspire both the union of various walks of people and remarkable achievements. After all, just take a moment and look at how many of us have been brought together here on this site, celebrating great accomplishments while we ourselves strive to achieve.

So, call me a wide-eyed romantic. Call me an optimist. Call me a freakin’ dreamer. Continue to criticize my blog. I don’t care. I won’t become a jaded person or sports fan and I won’t change my belief that sports can both empower us and bring us together. After all, it is my voice and my blog. I don’t have to be jaded, I can stir up the pot, and I can formulate my own opinion. Everyone can. Like Sean’s painting and the colors he chose, to each their own.

When NCAA Tournament Standout and George Mason star F Jai Lewis (6'7", 290 lbs.) agreed to a rookie free agent contract with the New York Giants earlier this week, it came to no surprise to me. When I watched Lewis during George Mason's miracle run to the Final Four I thought, "this dude would make a devastating NFL tight end or offensive tackle."

It’s not like this trail hasn’t been blazed before. The two best tight ends in football, the Chargers Antonio Gates and the Kansas City Chiefs Tony Gonzalez, are former college basketball players. Carolina Panthers defensive end Juluis Peppers and Philadelphia Eagles QB Donavon McNabb also played Division I college basketball.

The Giants say that Lewis might even play offensive tackle at the next level. Regardless, Lewis is big, athletic for his size, and has a mean streak. Collegiate basketball has also left him with the footwork and soft hands that few football players can match. Lewis was not the only ex-basketball player signed this week. The Rams signed seldom-used Connecticut F Ed Nelson (6’8”, 265 lbs.) to a rookie free agent contract as well.

These signings have got me thinking. Why doesn’t the NFL scout more basketball players? What current NBA players would make NFL studs? Here is my list of answers to that second question…

My All-NFL NBA Team:

Starters

• F Joey Graham, Toronto Raptors (6’7”, 230) – I don’t remember the exact statistics, but Graham was easily the most athletic rookie-to-be at last year’s NBA Draft workouts. He was lighting fast, super strong and had a pogo-stick vertical. To be honest, he’s not even that great of a basketball player at this point. This is the one current NBA player that I definitely think would be a better NFL player. He has the talent to be a Pro Bowl TE.

• F Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings (6’7”, 260 lbs) – He is definitely athletic and powerful enough. However, the main reason for Ron-Ron’s inclusion on this list is for kicks. Just imagine the carnage the “Tru Warier” could cause if he was unleashed on the football field. And you thought that Kellen Winslow was a neurotic TE.

• C Shaquille O’Neal, Miami Heat (7’1”, 320-360 lbs.) – The one guy that dwarfs Ravens T Jonathon Ogden. Would be a monster offensive tackle. How fun is it to think about Shaq lining up against Pro Bowl defensive ends like Peppers and Indianapolis Colts star Dwight Freeney?

• G Nate Robinson, New York Knicks (5’9”, 180 lbs.) Robinson played cornerback while at the University of Washington, so this is no shocker.

• G Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers (5’11”, 165 lbs.) - Now this might come as a shocker, but it shouldn’t. Iverson was an All-State football star in high school. He also has insane speed and quickness, excellent hands, and has a knack for getting open. Add the fact that he’s tougher than your old lunch lady’s chicken fried steak, and it’s obvious that A.I. would be a stud slot receiver. Think Az Hakim (they even look alike.)

Bench

* G Fred Jones, Indiana Pacers (6'2", 220 lbs.) - Jones, a former NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champ, could be a phenomenal reciever. There wouldn't be a CB in the NFL that could match his serious hops. Well, unless you count Nate-Rob.

* G Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets (6'4", 210 lbs.) - Kidd has all the itangibles o####reat scrambling quarterback--smarts, speed, passing accuracy, elusiveness and leadership ability. In my mind, he might just be the best QB in Jersey (and yes, that is a knock on the J-E-T-S for passing on Matt Leinart).

* G Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons (6'3", 210 lbs.) - LenDale White's cuz has safety written all over him. Football seems to be in his family, and as a member of the Pistons, he's definitely tough enough.

* G-F Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns (6'5", 210 lbs.) - Skinny, but as we all witnesssed last night, he can hit. The best clothesline since #### "Night Train" Lane.

* F James Posey, Miami Heat (6'8", 220 lbs.), Posey would make a great special teams player. I can tell you this: He wouldn't have gotten suspended for that downfield shoulder tackle he made on Kirk Hinrich. He would've been congratulated. Needs to work on wrapping up, though.

* F Danny Fortson, Seattle Sonics (6'7", 270 lbs.) Fortson might just have the horsepower, wheels and motor necessary to play DE in the NFL. However, he would have to shed those girly pigtails for sure.

* C Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons (6'9", 250 lbs.) Big Ben would have to beef up to play DE, but I can see him as a relentless pash rusher that rings QB's bells. Can't you?