Reggie Miller Media Availability (February 16, 2024) | Indiana Pacers

Reggie Miller Media Availability (February 16, 2024) | Indiana Pacers

First of all thank you guys for coming uh I always love uh One-Stop shopping um so I appreciate you guys braving the elements I know it’s starting to snow outside so um let me first start by saying it’s always fun to come home especially for an event like this um you

Know having I felt being raised here in Indiana I know how the who’s your faithful is when it comes to big events whether it be a final four or huge Colts or Pacers games we know how to do big events and uh what bigger event especially in our profession um

The All-Star Game than to have it here where I feel we have the best fan base in all of professional sports so it’s always good to come home uh I’m trying to preserve my voice throughout this week weekend um but I’m enjoying this as well so thank you guys again for coming

Um I’ve always had a love love relationship with a lot of you people in here including this man in red up front as usual as everyone knows so um fire away I’m here regie welcome back what is it to seeis post this the world year because this course become International

That’s no longer with yeah this is a lot different than my first All-Star Game in 1990 in Miami um I was still in college in ‘ 85 when it was last year uh in Indianapolis again we know how to do these type of events and then add to it

That it’s basketball I mean it’s no pun intending it’s a slam dunk right because this is what we when you think about basketball whether it’s at the high school college or the the professional level you think of hoers and you think of Indiana so I’m excited to be back for it Reggie Chris

Lck CBS Bo here in Indie growing up in a small market now with Tyrese and bringing in Pascal you see this then how does it help having well it’s an upward trajectory in my opinion um again um I think management has done a great job of especially when you’re in a smaller

Market you have to draft very well and hope those draft picks pan out and once you start to win I think that’s when you start to get your free agents because they want to come to a winning organization they want to play uh in a style of basketball which is fun which

When you lead the league in scoring and you have a dynamic point guard like Tyrese uh you know you’re going to get your touches and you know you’re going to get looks but they play a fun brand of basketball because they play hard and they work hard and that’s when you think

Of the Pacers that’s all I’ve ever known here and I think the fans appreciate the hard work win or lose there’s going to be times obviously those tough losses but if you give the effort I think that’s what they respect most so I think they’re on their way up you look at the

Eastern Conference obviously Boston is kind of separating themselves but after that I mean Milwaukee people talk about they made the change at head coach they’re three and eight Underdog and we I shouldn’t say we they beat them four out of five times already or five out of six

Something like that um so yeah if I’m Indiana why not you know you get locked into a series anything is possible BR youve El files I’m curious as a guy that was the face of the franchise considering that now with Tyrese having the keys being baled in

Every kind of decision what is that opportunity of being pressure for well I think we’ll find that out come playoff time knock all on wood I assume they’re going to make the playoffs I think that’s the next goal right um I think when they made the trade people were

Somewhat up in arms when you’re giving up a proven All-Star in sabonis because he was an All-Star in a Pacers uniform he goes to Sacramento they make the playoffs he’s continues to be an All-Star and you’re wondering about your return but you look at this season and a

Little bit of last towards the end of last year but certainly this year how Tyrese has balled out and really put the franchise on his back and what he did in the end-season tournament to get them to that final game um there’s demands and pressure that comes with that and that’s called

Winning and I think the next expectation for Tyrese will be can he deliver in the playoffs I think that’s what we’re all hoping and and wishing that that’s the next step for him would we to a far new with Sabrina and Steph shooting against each other tomorrow night and assure yourself what

You think of that opportunity that’s awesome um because the game of basketball really has no gender again you’re talking into a guy who grew up in the household with the greatest women’s basketball player of all time so uh I am all for this I I’m surprised it’s taken this long for us to

Kind of merge with the WNBA and their fabulous players but Sabrina is one of the best Shooters I’ve ever seen on this planet but she’s going against arguably the greatest shooter this game has ever seen that’s what makes it so fantastic it kind of reminds me of that Billy Jean King type thing

Back in the 70s I believe it was so um I’m excited to be a part of it to have the best seats in the House to call it really regarding that match up who’s your favorite so why well I I gotta find out first is Sabrina shooting at the same distance as Steph

The only reason why I am going to give Steph the advantage is because he’s in season now I know she’s training for the Olympics she’s having that now but that’s different from having actual games every other day and practicing Steph is in Rhythm right now and I know

She’s training and so forth um but Steph is used to these big stages not that Sabrina isn’t um but but um Steph is kind of used to this from B good to see you yeah you have a face for 18 years B special tra and C IND Bas

It could just one Des SP that b with that one breath for Pacer basketball I would say family um it’s a real sense of Community here I kind of told this story last night when I was on the set with the guys I think the coolest thing for me

For 18 years here was come playoff time um when you would leave your house and I’m leaving uh my development getting ready to come downtown for a game and there’s kids outside with signs with banners posters spent all day thinking of something to write to put in their lawn

Uh cheer chearing you on as you’re driving out so when I say family in a sense of community that’s why I always felt that we were in this together we laughed and we did a lot of crying together as well and that’s what I loved about my 18 years

Here yeah how much do you keep up with rck Carl these days what you guys uh we’re text buddies um I can’t tell you guys how much in terms of my personal development as a player uh and as a man to a certain degree um coach Carlile Rick has had on

Me um when he was an associate coach under Larry it was he and I every single day film study and Court workor footwork um he added so much to my game at both ends of the court but especially offensively uh counters you know my second third and fourth moves because he

Was always looking at the big pitcher he was always looking at come playoff time they’re going to take your best two or three moves away what do you have left so he allowed me to think about the game in a different way um so I respect him

So much and that’s why you know his personality is funny because when he was with us he was with a veteran team where his mannerisms and his quirks we got him but now he’s been with a a younger team um which I’m sure Sometimes some of his mannerisms fall on deaf ears but

It’s kind of been good to see how he’s been re-energized with this younger team and this development that he has with them it’s kind of cool to see B Bridge you have a couple of Allstar memories from the five times I mean on allar memories at think about

And to follow up back in your day the allar me was wildly competitive first of all Bob it’s so great to see you I love you you I said to have a love love relationship with a lot of people in this room he’s another one I mean during bad games he would

Tell me the truth and I think you and I have had this conversation when you had the our little sit down in New York I I appreciate those we just wanted you guys to be honest and you were always honest with me when I played well and when I

Played terrible so I appreciate I appreciate that I think my fondest member you always remember your first right and I remember in 1990 walking into the locker room for the first time and there’s Larry and then there’s Isaiah there was Jordan and there was Joe Dumars there was Robert

Parish and I’m looking there was Charles Patrick and I’m thinking to myself like what am I doing here right and you know it turns out I believe out of the West and the East out of those 24 guys 23 out of 24 are all Hall of Famers and some of

Them are on that 75 anniversary team so that’s what I remember the most was being humbled walking into that locker room going over to the corner because I didn’t want to look at anyone in the eyes because I couldn’t believe I was in the same now again I’m playing against

Them every night but it’s different when you’re in the same room and you’re hearing the conversations of some of these greats and you’re amongst them and I’m sure that’s what Shay gilgas and Tyrese and some of these guys will be experiencing when you know a LeBron

Walks into the room I mean it it’s that type of feeling you can talk about it all you want but until you actually experience it I think that’s what makes it cool and no matter if you’re a firsttime All-Star or a 20y year All-Star like LeBron you still get up for this game

And to make it more competitive um I’m glad they’ve kind of gone back to the East versus West um because we always wanted to beat the West we wanted it was all about talking a lot of noise which conference was better who had the better players and you wanted to dominate on

The world’s bigest stage I mean all basketball fans watch this game because you got a collection of the best players ever and it was all about us trying to embarrass the West really that’s what it was and when you know Michael would come in and he would give that talk about we

Ain’t losing we want the money because you is a higher prize money to winning but we ain’t losing to those dudes and it resonated with us so hopefully someone’s giving that speech in the locker room now that it’s back to East versus West back they said have a chance to

See I’ve had a chance to call I believe three or four of his games and he has put on absolute shows in all three of them and I’m somewhat in awe because you say to yourself there’s no way that someone that size should have that type of skills um but he is so

Personable um looks you in your eye answers all your questions um and to be that young talented and so poised with the media at such a young age um it’s pretty remarkable I give a lot of credit to his family because obviously they knew down the pike that this was coming

And um he hasn’t kind of sheltered away from it and I think his popularity is is only growing I believe it’s between him and Chad for Rookie of the Year obviously um but I think he’s in a great place to play Under arguably the best coach this game has

Ever seen in pop who’s all about fundamental and knows a thing or two about coaching big men having David Robinson and obviously Tim Duncan so he’s in the right place he’s surrounded by the right the right management so I I think the sky the limits for him but I give a lot

Of credit to the family for really kind of tutoring him along the way and along this process and he has such a ridiculous you know him going to bed at 9 9:30 and all that I mean that’s that’s pretty cool I don’t know if I could have done that but that’s pretty

Cool oh man they brought it up last night on our show did you give them did you give them the phot the footage it was the best it prepared me for be being up here in front of you guys and doing what I’ve been doing with Turner for 19 plus years

Um to have a chance to interview worldclass athletes and politicians and just have a chance to be in the microphone and be in comfortable speaking in front of people um it was awesome it was awesome working with you and um having the fans come down doing a

Monologue in front of a live audience which was a little intimidating um but it was fun you get comfortable with it and I had a good time we had some good shows too really good shows I go see cover a lot of Aller and

A lot of Aller games you know a can go big events how do you think K is changing the game of future allar games where does this one rank just how the set is there the ones well what’s great about Indiana is everything is close in proximity where you can walk pretty much

To everywhere the restaurants are all down here um I’m not sure they’re used to the snow coming down right now but uh everything you can get to by foot and I think that’s what makes things great there won’t be long lines and cars everywhere Circle City makes things kind

Of flow down here so um it’s great to have Lucas and gamebridge everything all the hotels are here no one’s traveling far distances to get here um the traffic will be minimal at best so I think that’s what makes it great Ste with CBS at the city the

Thunder SL armed up the mouth again uh do you think they have what it takes to make it out of well first of all I don’t think they’re slowly I think they’re there um and again uh I put OKC in the same boat as the Indiana Pacers um why

Not obviously you’ve got the Champs out there in Denver the Clippers are playing out of their mind but after that I mean I know Minnesota another small Market but what have they done lately right so you’ve got a hall of fame or excuse me a

MVP candidate in Chay uh Chad is in the running for a rookie of the year um Josh is great Jaylen Williams is playing out of his mind most improved so they have all the pieces the question’s going to be come playoff time all right and in the west which is

Insanely like talented it’s it’s all going to be about matchups and they play a fun style of basketball but what I love about them is they have two closers and come playoff basketball when the game slows down and it becomes halfcourt you”ve got to have guys that can close

Games and Jaylen and Shay can close games for them so that’s why yes I give them the edge but it’s going to depend on matchups on who they play re why do you say you developed relationship than you do B if you’re an Indiana be an LA kid what what about

This place resonate with you and following up on that what’s the closest you ever ke I I think to the first part of your question um look when I was drafted in ‘ 87 I really didn’t know much about the Pacers or Indiana other than I knew that they loved basketball here um

But I didn’t know much else and I wanted to come here and I knew I wasn’t the their number one choice because we all knew who that was um but I had that I’ll show them attitude and I just wanted to come here and play hard and I knew that they

Respected players and teams that played hard and I only knew how to play one way because that’s how magic Byron Scott Cooper from the Lakers that’s how they taught me when we would play every summer and that’s where they said look where you’re going you’re going to have

To play this way which that’s all we used to do anyways so I was pretty prepared in terms of how I wanted to approach playing here and it’s funny I don’t know if you remember this so the summer I was drafted I was drafted in June May or

June there was an exhibition game here in Indiana um and I believe David Robinson was was on that world team it was them versus the pros and um I remember my agent arel was like well you can’t play cuz you’re not under contract but they

Asked me to come play I was like I got to go play he’s like no you can’t go play because what happens if you hurt yourself you’re not insured I’m like but I got to go there and I got to show them who I am because all I was reading in

Indianapolis Star was why did they pick this skinny kid from La I was like I got to go show him so I remember coming to that game and I remember vividly cuz Isaiah was on the pro team and I was playing with him and I was like man I’m

So nervous and he’s like you know in his voice Rich remember all those games we used to play at UCLA was pickup games and you were just like out there dominating do that play like that so I went out there and played like that and I think I want him over but

Thank God Isaiah like C me down before that game because I don’t know if he wouldn’t have given me that talk how I would have played Jer if you look at what Tes bre to what makes you so L to so s of hand toward J but because he brings people together if

You watch Tyrese play it’s never been about him it’s been about us what can we do to win tonight I think he would be happy with four points and 24 assists in the victory as opposed to a 40-point game and a loss and the way his teammates look at

Him they look at him they look at him like they look at LeBron they look at him like they look at yic they look at him like they look at Giannis like we can do anything with this dude out there and I see that that and that’s why you

Know knock on wood you know Health obviously if they’re healthy I really do believe that he can carry this team to a championship they’ve got to believe they got to believe it before they do it and that’s why I’m excited to see them in the playoffs knock on would they make

The playoffs because they’re teetering that playing situation too um but I would love to see them in a they’ve beaten all the top teams they beat Boston to move on to Las Vegas they’ve beaten Milwaukee they’ve beaten Philly they’ve just beat New York in New

York so these are the top four teams I mean so why can’t if I’m them saying why not us we’ve beaten these dudes gotta believe though I know that you had a r in um also i’ had to be talk about that um the go about I’m stop Furious being a part of

This organization Alit bner and being a part of this they you you or per chapter of T seeds when I was playing um because I never wanted to reveal too much to the media when you’re playing and David helped me in my relationship and speaking with you guys some of you

That’s in this room um to kind of bridge that Gap because the media can be a useful tool especially when you lock horns in in the playoffs when you’re going against that New York machine and you’re we we’re just Indiana you know we had one paper four

Stations right that was it for here and when you’re going against New York and they’ve got all these Outlets so he helped navigate that and there was times when I wanted to go ballistic after games and he would look at me in my eye and calm down think about it think about

It before you say it and the ramifications that can come from that so these are the kind of life lessons that bner has taught me that I take into everyday life working with Turner and TNT Sports and even at home with you know my kids now who are starting to

Grow up and play sports um um you’ve got to always look at the bigger picture and there’s a lot of times when you’re heated in the moment you want to just react and sometimes that’s just not the rational thing to do you’ve got to look at all

Sides um and I think bner helped me at a very early age starting in the 90s with that because I was a hothead kid and all I wanted to do was be a Gung Slinger and you just can’t do that um you can do it at times but you’ve got

To have a master plan David bner always gave me the m and Bill bner too gave me the and Mr Bob Kravitz gave me that master plan as well and Dave cabro too so a lot of y’all gotta have a master plan your relationship with Isaiah and Larry in

The what with you three wow it was jaw-dropping eye opening and I I kid you not because when it was first approached to me that we were going to do this at first I was going to interview Larry and Larry doesn’t talk to anyone nowadays at all I was like oh

Really that’s great you know cool and then you know Turner was like uh we’re going to add Isaiah and I was like I was like I don’t think Larry’s going to don’t want that to happen and he’s like no Larry’s like he’s cool with it I’m like

Really I was like and we can talk about things he’s like there’s nothing off the board I was like okay so I went into journalistic mode because there’s a lot of things if you guys remember that happened in the 80s a lot of stuff happened and we went

There um and the stories that were being told that was coming out and the battles that they had and the things that were said ingame and postgame it was like and I remember it vaguely I did my homework but I REM you know in the 80s I remember some of the

Stuff being said but you forget about it but when I was doing my research I was like Wow Rodin said that and then Isaiah said Larry what so it was you guys will be I’ve never seen Larry so animated um and I’ve never it was just humbling to be amongst these two and

Hear the stories and the mutual respect I look at Larry like a god I I patterned my game after him um but to hear Isaiah and how he talks about the Celtics and Larry um you guys will come away with this with a a different appreciation so

Is it was very cool I was still a little nervous about it but it it it was very cool very cool PR uh recently you share that Grace you had with your son at regardless of being for how did you feel that experience as father it it to me it was the greatest

Moment as a parent um because it was like full circle because I was Steph’s favorite player growing up and he was wearing my jersey when he was my son’s age and which was kind of odd because his dad is Dale Dale Curry um so for him to have that moment

Which wasn’t planned this is in the middle of the game he hits the biggest shot runs across Court and points out rker my son and in the biggest moment for him to be so selfless where he could have been beating his chest the place was going

Crazy but he’s making his way to find my son and to give him that moment and it was right around Christmas time and you know he was Big Man on Campus for a while which was great for him um but it just shows you how great of a person Stephen Curry is you

Know you could talk about all the accolades and the greatest shooter and all that but as a person he is a fabulous human being last one when to go back uh talk about the B Bas what’s how do you think up that uh on side that was like how a big change

What well I I think the the best thing picking up um Pascal would be is he’s GNA take the ball out of the hands of Tyrese halberton so he’s not ball dominant all the time and I can see the Pacers playing a lot like how Golden State plays with Stephen Curry um as

Great as a ball handler and passer Stephan is he’s so much better and more efficient when he’s off the ball when Draymond Green is being the facilitator or someone else is out there and I think that’s what Pascal does he’s going to take him off the ball but it also adds

Another closer for them as well you don’t average 20 plus points and eight plus rebounds without being able to score the basketball and be dominant and plus he has Championship pedigree coming from Toronto right so he understand what it’s going to take to be successful in

The playoffs so when you pick up that type of player um I think it adds that depth to your roster to me mil Turner will have to be healthy if he’s healthy and he’s doing what he can do at both ends but more so defensively um this team goes to a

Different level because between Aaron n Smith uh and Matan those guys on the wings can get it done but defensively Aaron n Smith is unbelievable I would have Lov to have played with a player like Aaron n Smith um so they have the pieces the question

Is going to be the matchup and come playoff time do they believe do they really believe if they believe that they can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference I want to see it because I can’t wait but before we leave you know you were talking about my son ranker and we

Were kind of prepping him you know about this you know because he’s going to have to get used to this Dino come on up here for a second um so you know I’ve had to face the me the media for a little bit so let’s give him a couple minutes

Cuz he won’t know what any questions you guys are going to have coming to him let’s see if he’s kind of ready for this make him softball questions but uh let’s see if he can handle this tell him your name first and go with it I’m rker M

Sure your dad or what kind of father is he is he is he he’s a good dad he teaches me a bunch of basketball that helps me what about VOR what’s he think about homework like what homework does he make does he make you do homework like school homework scho

Homework do you have to do chores yeah yeah what’s the best advice you have receive from your dad uh just putting in the work James what’s better shoar you you Stafford your dad my dad rer let’s in that to now on YouTube and watch old clips of

Your dad and if so what is that then like where you to see him I go on YouTube sometimes but like it’s incredible cuzz like every video I watch he like makes the shot what’s it like to come here in Indianapolis Indiana where your dad was

A star and they see everybody want to talk to what’s that wine it’s it’s fun it’s like you don’t mind that no I don’t I don’t really care too just it’s more about him and seeing if he wants to do it or no just walks away James

Talk about the moment that you had with Steph Curry what did that mean to you to have Steph hit a huge sign and come over and basically Fort you out it was the best thing like best Christmas present too like CU it was around Christmas it was just it was amazing here we

Go thank you guys job buddy thank you thank you

Pacers legend Reggie Miller spoke with the media at #NBAAllStar2024 in Indianapolis.