During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Indiana Pacers experienced their most successful era in NBA history. Led by Reggie Miller, they were serious contenders in the Eastern Conference for several seasons, competing against some of the league’s best teams. Drawing from his extensive experience, the guard has formed a firm stance on who he believes is the greatest player in basketball history.
“To me, Michael Jordan is the greatest player,” Miller asserted during a 2024 interview on The Mark Jackson Show, when discussing the NBA’s top stars. “I’ll go to my grave with that,” he added, reinforcing his position.
Reggie has frequently expressed his admiration and respect for Jordan, even while acknowledging the fierce competition between them that lasted over a decade. “No lies told! We had a prickly relationship, respected the hell out of MJ, but also couldn’t stand him,” Miller wrote in an Instagram post in 2024. “The reason I say that, wanted to beat him and his Bulls so badly, only won a few battles but he eventually won all the wars.”
In a 2015 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Reggie Miller recounted an unforgettable moment involving MJ. “My rookie year we were playing the Chicago Bulls, and this is Michael Jordan’s third or fourth year in,” he began. “I’m a wide-eyed, energetic rookie and…Michael’s going through the motions.”
Miller continued, “Chuck Person—who’s on my team— is like, ‘Can you believe Michael Jordan, the guy everyone’s talking about, who’s supposed to be able to walk on water? You’re out here killing him, Reg! … You should be talking to him!’” Taking Person’s advice, Reggie approached Jordan: “Michael…who do you think you are? The great Michael Jordan? That’s right, there’s a new kid on town!’”
Jordan’s response to that provocation, however, was both swift and deadly. “He kind of looks at me and starts shaking his head. So at half I have 10, and he has four points…end of the game, the second half, he ended up with 44 and I ended up with 12. So he outscored me 40-2,” Miller recalled. “And as he’s walking off, he’s like, ‘Be sure, and be careful, you never talk to Black Jesus like that.’”
Reggie Miller vs. Michael Jordan
When Reggie Miller was selected 11th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, Michael Jordan had been in the league for just three years. This meant their careers ran in parallel, with Reg and Mike frequently clashing in intense matchups.
One of their most memorable encounters occurred during the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, when Jordan’s Chicago Bulls defeated the Pacers in a seven-game series. “I felt we were the better team. And it just pains me and hurts me,” Miller said in a 2020 interview on The Dan Patrick Show. “Not so much bitter or animosity towards him.”
Reggie Miller’s legacy with the Indiana Pacers
Reggie Miller is one of the few NBA players who spent his entire career with a single franchise. After being drafted by the Pacers in 1987, he stayed in Indiana until his retirement in 2005, leaving an indelible mark on the team’s history. In recognition of his immense contribution, the franchise retired his No. 31 jersey.
“If Michael Jordan ever would have called me and tried to sway me to come to Chicago, I would have told him to go (expletive) himself… I’ll be down to see you. I never came close to going anywhere else,” Miller told ESPN in 2011, highlighting his deep attachment to the Pacers.
Over his 18-season career, Reggie became known for his incredible three-point shooting ability, retiring as the league’s all-time leader in that category. His legacy has cemented him as the greatest player in Indiana history, earning him a well-deserved place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Michael Jordan’s thoughts on Reggie Miller
In a 1998 interview with ESPN The Magazine, Michael Jordan shared his thoughts on Reggie Miller. “I don’t dislike anybody in the league, but playing Reggie Miller drives me nuts,” he said, offering a hilarious explanation of Miller’s on-court behavior.
“It’s like chicken-fighting with a woman. His game is all this flopping-type thing,” Jordan continued. “He weighs only 185 pounds, so you have to be careful; don’t touch him, or it’s a foul. On offense, I use all my 215 pounds and just move him out. But he has his hands on you all the time, like a woman holding your waist. I just want to beat his hands off because it’s illegal. It irritates me.”
Miller’s honorable mentions on the GOAT debate
Although Reggie Miller firmly believes Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time, he has also expressed that other stars should be considered in the GOAT conversation. “It’s funny how Kobe never gets put in that GOAT debate. It’s always LeBron and Michael,” he opined during his interview with Mark Jackson.
Miller added that Bryant’s similarities to Jordan may have impacted his chances of being regarded as the best. “I think it’s a knock on Kobe because people say, ‘Well, we already witnessed that with number 23,’” said Reggie. He also pointed out another name in the discussion: “I think Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) should be in the GOAT discussion as well.”