30 FOR 30: WINNING TIME: REGGIE MILLER VS. NY KNICKS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of sports documentaries presented by ESPN about important figures and events in athletic history. This program looks at the career of Pacers player Reggie Miller and his famous rivalry with the New York Knicks in the 1980s and 1990s. The heated, longtime, “Biblical” feud between the two teams is discussed; their games were regarded as “blood battles,” due in part to the contrast between the Knicks’ flashy urban image and the Pacers’ homey, Midwestern persona. Friends and colleagues of Miller explain that he was “one of the greatest trash-talkers” in sports and was often a “maddening” person to be around because of his competitive nature. He frequently clashed with Knicks guard John Starks, leading to a memorable incident in 1993 when Starks was seen to head-butt Miller on the court, causing him to be ousted from the game, although Miller acknowledges that he “milked” the injury for his own benefit.
The two teams’ history is then explored, including Indiana’s pride in its teams and general resentment of New York. After suffering several years of poor performances, the Knicks managed to “steal” player Patrick Ewing, who was regarded as “the savior of basketball,” in the draft. Pacers president Donnie Walsh was also pressured to draft Steve Alford, but chose Miller instead, to the anger of many, suggesting that Miller’s professional career was controversial from the beginning. Miller’s background is briefly touched upon, including his lifelong “rivalry” with sister Cheryl Miller, also a notable professional basketball player, who regularly bested him in their childhood games. She explains that their “drive” came from their father and that they were raised in a military family and taught the importance of respect and perseverance.
In 1991, Pat Riley became the coach of the Knicks and ran a very tight ship, forbidding his players from talking to the other team and “bringing in five guys to play like one.” Elsewhere, the Pacers’ coach, Larry Brown, was universally hated, but considered to be effective. When Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls in 1993, many sports fans believed that the Knicks had a decent shot of winning the championship. However, problems arose between Miller and controversial director and famed Knicks fan Spike Lee. He frequently heckled Miller from his courtside seat, and in 1994, he was blamed for the Knicks’ loss in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals because his taunts only encouraged Miller to play better. He furthered angered fans when he showed up in Indiana for a follow-up game. Miller continued to bring victory to the Pacers, however, including one stunning moment in Game 1 of the 1995 Conference Finals when he scored eight points in 8.9 seconds by stealing the ball from an opponent and quickly stepping back to the three-point arc. Shaken, the Knicks then missed several free throws in a row, turning the game around in a matter of seconds and leading to a 107-105 victory for the Pacers. The moment was considered to be one of the greatest victories in sports history—but Miller acknowledges that he wishes it would have happened in a championship game; neither team went on to win the championship that year. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ESPN
- DATE: March 14, 2010 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:09:08
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 100746
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries; Sports
- SUBJECT HEADING: Sports; Biography; African-American Collection - Sports
- SERIES RUN: ESPN - TV series, 2009-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Joan Lynch … Executive Producer
- John Dahl … Executive Producer
- Keith Clinkscales … Executive Producer
- Connor Schell … Executive Producer
- Bill Simmons … Executive Producer
- John Skipper … Executive Producer
- John Walsh … Executive Producer
- Gail D'Agostino … Producer
- David Zieff … Producer
- Reginald Miller … Producer
- Charles C. Stuart … Producer
- Daniel Silver … Producer
- Dan Klores … Producer, Director
- Eric Krugley … Associate Producer
- Melanie Angelina Maras … Associate Producer
- Andy Billman … Associate Producer
- Kristin McDowell … Associate Producer
- Mike Tollin … Consulting Producer
- Bob Golden … Music by
- Steve Alford
- Larry Brown
- Patrick Ewing
- Michael Jordan
- Spike Lee
- Cheryl Miller
- Reggie Miller
- Pat Riley
- John Starks
- Donnie Walsh