Reggie Miller calls it a career...

Wow. I can't believe I just saw Reggie Miller play his last game; I don't imagine it'll set in until sometime next season. And what a tough way to go out, lights out all game - 27 points, 4 threes - and he gets a 3 that would've put the Pacers back in the game blocked by Ben Wallace with about 30 seconds left. Not only was Reggie probably the best pure shooter in NBA history, but he was a tenacious defender, a hard worker and an all-around class act. Not to mention the huge number of clutch shots that left everyone this side of Rob Horry amazed. I think the greatest Miller Time moment had to be the '95 Eastern Conference Semis when Reggie scored 8 points in the final 8.9 seconds, leading the Pacers from behind to a stunning comeback victory. That sequence of the first 3, the steal, and then the second 3 left me in awe. Even Larry Bird's steal of Isiah Thomas' inbound and the subsequent dish to Dennis Johnson for the win pales in comparison to this one.

For me, Miller's retirement signifies an end of an era. Reggie, moreso than anyone except maybe Michael Jordan, represents the NBA of my youth. When I think of basketball from that time period, I think of the high class ambassadors the game had - Reggie, David Robinson, John Stockton, et al. With Reggie gone, the NBA is left to classless clowns like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony. All too frequently are players putting their personal agendas before their teams', and are often still lauded in the face of these transgressions. Iverson thinks he's too good for practice, yet gets praised for his heart. Carter gets hurt every five minutes and even when he does play, admits that it often isn't his best effort, and is still voted a starter to the All-Star game year in and year out. Never would you see such nonsense from guys like Miller, Robinson and Stockton. That is not to say that this crop of players is all bad - the fact that a high-class, old school type player like Steve Nash was voted this year's MVP says as much. But I digress. This is about Reggie and how much he meant to the game. 18 years, 1,389 games played (6th all-time), .887 free throw percentage (7th), 25,279 points (12th), 2,650 (1st), and all as a member of the Indiana Pacers and all as a model citizen. In a time where aging superstars change teams as often as they change their shorts, looking for one last hurrah or one final shot at the title, Reggie Miller may very well be the last of a dying breed. Here's to you #31.

"The character of a man is to establish something where no one else has ever done before." - Reggie Miller