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Reggie Miller playing for the Boston Celtics? It almost happened back in 2007, but the Hall of Fame shooting guard couldn’t betray the Indiana Pacers.
Miller retired at the age of 39 following the 2004-05 NBA season. At that point, he had spent all 18 seasons of his career with Indiana.
Two years later though, Danny Ainge of the Celtics called Miller with an offer to join a Boston squad that was loaded after its acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Ultimately, the 42-year-old sharpshooter said no.
In an interview with Bob Kravitz of The Athleticwhich was published today, Miller provided some insight on his decision.
“Look I knew they were stacked to win a championship, and they did, but it just wouldn’t have seemed right to be popping champagne in Boston when we (Indiana) grew up together, we laughed together, we cried so many tears together because we were so close for so many years,” Miller told Kravitz. “How could I be sitting and cheering and laughing because I won my championship and all I ever wanted to do was win in Indiana?”
Miller came close to winning it all with the Pacers, reaching the NBA Finals in 2000 and the Eastern Conference Finals on three other occasions.
People don’t understand — and we’ve seen this when LeBron came back to Cleveland, and now Milwaukee — when small markets win like that, and Indiana is in that category, it’s like winning three or four, it is. We’re not the Lakers, Boston, Chicago. When you win in a small market, those fans live and die with you.
And Indiana is such a basketball state, winning there was all I wanted to do. I just knew how special it could be, so I could not in good faith put on another jersey when all my joy and sadness came in one jersey, with one franchise.
Miller remains one of the most accomplished players in NBA history to never win a title, along with the likes of Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and others.
Judging by his comments to Kravitz though, it doesn’t seem like he regrets not doing any ring-chasing at the end of his career.