I was in attendance for the final regular season game of the Pacers last season, and that last ABA championship team of the Pacers were honored.  Mel Daniels was talked about the most, so you can see his legacy when it comes to the Pacers.  Former coach Bobby Slick Leonard, who isn’t in the Hall of Fame yet but should be, spoke very highly of Mel Daniels right before he came out to be with that team.

Mel Daniels would end his playing career as a two time ABA MVP and was the ABA’s all time rebounding player.  He would have his number 34 raised to the rafters as a retired number for the Indiana Pacers.  That speaks highly enough for his career. His number will never be worn by another Pacers player.

He was part of those ABA days, where the Pacers won 3 ABA Championships, and hold the team record for most points in a game with 177.  Mel Daniels was vital to those championships and just like Reggie Miller for putting Indiana on the map.

What a treat it is for Pacer fans to have their first two Hall of Famers enter at the same time.  Two guys that were so important to their respective teams and the eras of what basketball was.  Two guys who know what Indiana basketball could be and took it to new places.  Those are the Pacer players that fans should remember.  Those are the players that future Pacer players should strive to be.

You can point out that Reggie Miller only went to one NBA Finals, and never won the big one.  But I can point right back to see that Reggie put the Indiana Pacers on the map with his play.  We all have seen the famous choke sign to Spike Lee against the Knicks in the playoffs.  We all have seen the 8 points in 9 seconds clip.  We have seen Reggie become emotional on the court going up against Michael Jordan.  We have seen Reggie and John Starks butt heads in the heat of a playoff battle.  When it came time to play, Reggie Miller came to play in the playoffs. If that’s what people want to count the most, then Reggie has earned all the respect and accolades for his career.

You remember his shooting form, and how every time you felt the ball was going in.  As a fan of Miller, you remember the kick out and how he could draw a foul just about every time.  If you weren’t a fan, you hated that kick out move.  Once again, the emotion of Reggie Miller came out when he was playing.  You knew that he wanted to go out and win each time.  I can still remember Miller jumping around after the Pacers were heading to the NBA Finals.  That was a moment that lives in Pacers history.

We can talk about where his place is as far as shooting guards of all time goes.  His place in the overall grand scheme of great players.  But there’s one thing that everyone can say about Reggie Miller, he’s now a member of the Hall of Fame.  For us fans of his, that mean it’s Miller Time.