No one holds a grudge like a Knicks fan.
No matter how much time has passed, Reggie Miller will never be a welcome figure in New York, that much was made clear on Wednesday night.
On the call for his first broadcast at Madison Square Garden since 2013, the former Pacers legend was given an X-rated New York welcome by the Knicks faithful, erupting into choruses of “F— You Reggie, F— You Reggie!”
For those unaware of where this vitriol comes from, the beef between the Knicks and Pacers runs hot and runs deep.
The two squads faced off in the playoffs six times between 1993 and 2000, with the teams coming out at an even three apiece in their bouts. Figures from those duels live in either infamy or reverence in the halls of Madison Square Garden, with Miller emerging clear cut as part of the former.
In their first go at one another in 1993, Knicks guard John Starks fed Miller a headbutt in Game 3, leading to his ejection. Then, in retaliation the next season, he erupted for a legendary 25-point fourth quarter while arguing with Knicks superfan and director Spike Lee in an all-time playoff moment.
Thanks a lot, Spike.
Other iconic moments in their 90s rivalry include Miller’s eight points in the final 18.7 seconds of Game 1 in 1995 and Larry Johnson’s 4-point play in the dying seconds of Game 3 in the 1999 Eastern Conference Final.
Miller made it clear that he wasn’t scared of re-entering the building though.
“People are like ‘Aren’t you worried about going back to New York City and calling a game?’ No,” Miller told the NBA on TNT crew before tip-off. “I’ve owned this city, I’ve owned this building, so why would I be worried about walking on out there.”
Suffice to say, those chants didn’t break out over nothing.
However, over the course of this Knicks playoff run, fans have had a loose trigger when it comes to taunts.
Following a win at Philadelphia in Game 3 of their first round series against the 76ers, Knicks fans took over Wells Fargo Center and rained down chants of “F— Embiid!” They also sent a stray at an old foe, chanting “F— Trae Young!” despite the Hawks guard not even sniffing the playoffs this season.
Love it or hate it, that’s just the natural vitriolic state of Knicks fans.
In turn, the Knicks have taken that energy and ran with it. Wing Josh Hart made that clear on Wednesday as he approached the broadcast desk in the waning seconds and made sure that Reggie Miller was hearing what the Knicks fans were saying.
Leaning down to talk to the commentator, he said “I don’t know if you heard, but I think they said f— you. I don’t know if you heard it though.”
That energy has worked for them so far, as the wild and rowdy MSG crowd has felt akin to the Seattle Seahawks’ 12th man or Borussia Dortmund’s ‘Yellow Wall’ and the Knicks have taken full advantage, using that intense environment to cement a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
