25 years later, the Knicks and the Pacers lock horns in the Finals to decide the best team in the East. Rick Brunson was part of the team, and now his son Jalen Brunson leads the team to that throne. The Pacers ruled the 2000 ECF for their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals. The man responsible for the win, Reggie Miller, will be handling the broadcasting duties for the entire series. It all begins in the Garden, where he earned the nickname ‘Knicks Killer’.
If you think the rivalry from the 90s has toned down, then you are wrong. Just last year, the Pacers legend admitted, “Actually, I’ll be a little hurt if I don’t hear, ‘Reggie sucks.’ I kind of want that.” Recently, the video of Knicks fans heckling a fan wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey caught fire on social media. The Pacers have invited the fan over for Game 4 of the Finals and prove both fan bases are ready to reignite the rivalry. Speaking about rivalry, Reggie Miller’s issue is obviously with the entire New York fanbase, and it was with a particular Superfan back in the day.
“This is why I cannot stand the Knicks. To me, they’re frontrunners. They think that they’re God’s gift to basketball. Fine, you can think that all you want. But don’t frontrun when you guys are up, and then you guys want to talk stuff.” In this clip, the player-turned-broadcaster spoke about how he feels the Knicks fanbase only talks trash when the team is the favorite. This video was from last year, when Knicks superstar Josh Hart had few words for the Pacers legend.
“Where gasoline was poured on it. There’s 30 seconds left on the clock. Josh Hart came over to me. I think he was trying to be funny. But again, being frontrunners, there was no need for it. But it is what it is. It won’t be the first time. And I very well can see these two teams battling for the Eastern Conference crown.” When the Knicks won Game 2 in last year’s Conference Semi-Finals, the Mecca erupted, “F– you Reggie.”
If that was not enough, Hart repeated the words. “I don’t know if you heard but I think they’re saying, ‘f— you,” Hart then explained during a post-game interview that he wanted to make sure Reggie Miller heard it clearly. That’s why the Pacers legend continues to have issues with the second-most-valued team in the NBA. The New York Knicks, valued at $8.3 billion, according to Sportico. But it seems the rivalry with Spike Lee has disappeared.
Reggie Miller earns a nickname and becomes ‘villain for life’
We saw the rivalry in the postseason last year after a decade, and it was the Indy team that came out on top. The Knicks team was severely injured and was without its star players, but the matchup needed game 7 to decide the Semis winner. Before this was the 2013 battle again in the Semis, where Hibbert’s block on Carmelo Anthony became iconic. Now the rivalry from the 90s, where they faced 6 times, and the record was 3-3 from 1993 to 2000.
During Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 1994, when Reggie Miller erupted for 39 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter famously flashed the now‑iconic “choke” gesture in Lee’s direction. The Garden lost it, and since that day, it hasn’t been the same. Miller did it once again in 1995, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. As he scored eight points in 8.9 seconds, capping the run with yet another choke sign aimed squarely at Lee. But currently, everything is buried.
He explained that while fans would love to repeat his beef with Miller but it’s all in the past. “So if you’re gonna try to stir up some stuff, I guarantee you me and Reggie are not going for that. We’re cool. That’s me and Reggie, but them people in Indiana, that’s another thing.” To people who don’t know, at last year’s All‑Star Weekend, Lee hugged Miller on national television, truly signifying the end of the beef. But let’s see if the ECF emotion ignites their passion for them to jaw back at each other.
