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Saturday, April 23, 2005
Sayson: The greatest Pacer walks away sans title, head unbowed
By Homer Sayson
Second Overtime
CHICAGO – While watching Sportscenter on ESPN the other night, I saw a clip of Reggie Miller’s sendoff party which took place after the Pacers’ final regular-season home game at the Conseco Fieldhouse.
Reggie doesn’t talk much and listening to him being interviewed can be more unpleasant than a visit with a dental hygienist. And so, when the greatest Pacer to ever live addressed the crowd of 18,345, his uneasiness showed.
He was able to say farewell, but his lips fluttered, his voice trembled, and the microphone that was palmed in his sweaty, nervous hands seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
“The first time I ran out of the tunnel in Market Square Arena, I knew I was home. We have laughed, we have cried, and we have celebrated together. I just want to thank you guys for opening your hearts to me each and every night we played.
“As much as you think I’ve given to you guys for 18 years, I’ve been truly blessed to be a Pacer and a Hoosier.”
Reggie is defined by his fearlessness under pressure, but on the night of his final regular-season game, his steel nerves melted like jello. Burned by the spotlight of a darkened arena, he wept tears of joy, tears of sadness, tears of relief.
Miller’s career spanned 1,388 regular season games, an 18-year odyssey that saw him score a total of 25,267 points, averaging 18.2 points, three rebounds and three assists per. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-point shots made, sinking 2,560 of 6,484 for a 39.5 percent clip.
When Reggie was drafted in 1987 as a scrawny 6-foot-7 UCLA alum, he wasn’t expected to last long in a league dotted with athletic giants. Yet there he was on Wednesday evening, still peeling the years with his greatness.
Reggie norms 14.8 points per game this season. He shoots 44.1 percent from the field, 32.4 beyond the arc, and 93.1 from the free-throw line. He can still play, but at age 39, he’s physically and mentally exhausted.
It’s times like this that make the NBA so compelling, to marvel at an All-Star’s excellence for so long, only to feel our eyes moist with melancholy the moment the dribble stops. But there is solace in the fact that unlike many other greats before him, Reggie retires on his own terms, with his legacy intact and his place in history secure.
Goodbye, Reggie. Thanks for the memories..
BONG’S PICK. I had a recent phone chat with Sun.Star Cebu editor and opinion columnist Bong Wenceslao, a dear friend who mentored me in my early years at The Freeman where we both used to work.
Bong is one of my literary idols, a Carlos Palanca awardee in Cebuano short fiction. He represents the creativity in creative writing, his prose is masterful, and his vocabulary is deeper than the Red Sea.
With the playoffs looming, we talked passionately about the NBA. And he being a card-carrying member of the anti-Kobe coalition, there was a discernable giddiness in Bong’s voice now that the Lakers are out of the picture.
Bong loves Shaq, but he loves Tim Duncan more, and that is why he is picking the Spurs to go all the way. Bong, Sun.Star Cebu’s “text reax” king, predicted the Pistons to beat the Lakers in last year’s NBA Finals. I hope he makes it 2-for-2.
E-MAILS. From Al Ray Ubod (alray_kac16 @yahoo.com): “I wanted the Cavs to make the playoffs, but Jason Kidd and the Nets seem to want it more. What do you think?”
I can’t say the Cavs wanted the playoffs less, they simply collapsed amid the turmoil which the new ownership brought.
From Arbie Arcayan (arbiearc@yahoo.com): “If the Nets and the Cavs had split their regular season meetings at 2-2, who would have won the tiebreak?”
In that case, the team with the better conference record makes the playoffs.
From John Ray Virtucio (Johnrayvirtucio @yahoo.com): “The NBA suspended Ron Artest for the rest of the NBA season, does that include the playoffs?”
Yes, according to NBA commissioner David Stern.
From John (jd_cellphone@yahoo.com): “Thanks to your April 18 column. I found out that you are still a Laker fan at heart.”
Yes, I am, but no thanks to Kobe, my Laker heart needs a transplant.
Finally from Fr. Joselito Guttierez (batitz66 @hotmail.com) who is vacationing in Australia with his family: “I’m not surprised to learn that you got heaps of fans down here. Continue to fascinate us with your NBA updates. God bless you and your family.”
I have a confession Fr. Jun: You just made my day.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
(April 23, 2005 issue)
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