Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller had some epic battles in the 1990s, but things boiled over in a heated 1993 matchup. Reggie broke it all down with Matt Barnes, Stephen Jackson and Vernon Maxwell on the latest episode of All The Smoke.
Miller took Matt, Stak, and Mad Max down memory lane to a 1993 home matchup between the Pacers and the Bulls, delving into a possession where Miller was getting physical with His Airness. Miller jokingly tells them to pull the whole clip, so that the crew could witness the entire exchange. In the clip, a Bulls player drives toward the baseline, trying to get into position for a pass. Jordan pushes off on Miller, who quickly retaliates. The Bulls player turns the ball over to the Pacers, and as one of their players goes up for a layup, Miller grabs the putback. As he lands, he gives Jordan a shove, and then … chaos erupts. Both players are face-to-face, throwing punches while everyone scrambles to break it up. In the heat of the moment, it looks like Jordan raked down and scratched Miller as he backs away from the scuffle.
Reggie Miller was playing mind games with MJ from head to toe 😂 @stockx
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After the dust settled, Miller assumed that both he and Jordan would get double technical fouls, or that if he got ejected, Jordan would too. However, when it was all said and done, Miller was the only one thrown out of the game. Even Barnes acknowledged that both Miller and Jordan were throwing punches during the exchange. Mad Max chimed in playfully saying “they ain’t never throwing Mike out no m—f—g game.” Jordan put 45 points on the Pacers that game. Miller stressed that Jordan’s 45-point outburst wouldn’t have happened if he had stayed in the game. Jackson responded, chuckling, saying Jordan threw three punches on the road and did not get ejected. Miller was just as perplexed, stating he got thrown out for the tiff on his home court. Ultimately, Miller received a one-game suspension, and Jordan was given a three-game suspension.
Miller doesn’t have many regrets from his career, but he still wishes he had more battles with Jordan. Furthermore, he noted that while he had won a few battles against Jordan, the reality was MJ had always won the wars, as evidenced by his six NBA titles. Granted, the Pacers took the Bulls to seven games in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, but Miller wishes he had more chances to face Jordan. He is not saying he would have beaten him every single time, but would have loved to have had the chance. Miller shared with the crew that when he faced MJ, he had no weaknesses. You could try to send him left or right, chop block him or get physical with him, but nothing would work. He compared his experience facing MJ to what centers felt going up against Shaq. Miller added that Jordan was the Shaq of shooting guards. Miller highlighted that there was no way to get around Jordan because he was so strong, and he also had a 48-inch vertical, so you were never able to block his shot. Miller noted that he had elite handles and could stop on a dime. He playfully shared that MJ held the ball like it was an orange, taunting defenders with his tongue hanging out. Miller stressed that he watched a lot of film to get a sense of players, but MJ was in a class of his own because he had no discernible flaws.
Watch or listen to the full episode below and keep an eye on DraftKings Network for new episodes of All The Smoke every Thursday at 6 p.m. ET!
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Reggie Miller: Reflections on Malice at the Palace, Fighting Kobe & Jordan, & Cheryl’s GOAT Case
VIDEO:
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