Reggie Miller – Franchise all-time three-point leader (2,533 made)

Lore & Background

Reggie Miller arrived in Indianapolis in 1987 as an 11th overall pick out of the University of Utah, a lanky, quick-hitting guard from Phoenix who looked like he belonged on a different team entirely. The Pacers of that era were rebuilding, and Miller was the through-line. What followed was an 18-year stretch in which he became the face, the voice, and the final shot of the franchise. He evolved from a raw scorer into a complete player—All-NBA caliber, All-Star regular, and a defender who could guard the opposing team's best wing without flinching. The 1990s were Miller's golden age. Playing alongside Rik Smits, Mark Jackson, and later Dale Davis, the Pacers became a team that could outshoot, outwork, and out-heart any opponent. The 1994 and 1995 playoff runs against the New York Knicks remain etched in basketball lore, particularly the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, where Miller's final-8-seconds burst of scoring in Game 5 became one of the most replayed clutch sequences in NBA history. The Pacers ultimately lost those series, but the footage of Miller draining a three, hitting a floater, and then drawing a foul to extend the lead is a permanent fixture in any conversation about basketball greatness.

In Their Own Story

The arena was half-empty by the fourth quarter, the kind of Tuesday night in February where the Pacers were up by two and nobody on the other team wanted to be here. Miller had 22, a quiet game, no highlight reel. Then the clock hit 1:47, the opposing wing drifted to the left corner, and Miller caught the ball at the top of the key. He didn't call a timeout. He didn't look at the bench. He just pulled up, that same high arc from 1991, from 1995, from every single night for eighteen years. The net snapped. The crowd, those few thousand who'd stayed, roared like a wave breaking on a shore. He jogged back on defense, hands on his hips, breathing hard, already thinking about the next possession. He didn't look at it. He never did. He just wanted the next ball.

Reader's Guide

Who set it: Reggie Miller, #31, drafted 11th overall in 1987 out of the University of Utah. He spent his entire career in Indianapolis, making the Pacers his home and the three-point line his signature territory. When: The record accumulated over 18 seasons, with the bulk coming in the 1990s when Miller was at his peak as a scorer, defender, and clutch performer. He retired after the 2004–05 season. He proved that a player could be a volume shooter AND a top-5 defender AND the most clutch player on the floor. His 1995 playoff performances—especially the 8-point, 8-second run in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks—cemented his reputation as the guy you want the ball on when the game is on the line. The stat still stands as the franchise benchmark. No subsequent Pacers player has come close to matching his long-range output, making it one of the most durable records in team history.

Did You Know?

• Miller's 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 5 finish—scoring 8 points in the final 8 seconds against the New York Knicks—is one of the most famous clutch sequences in NBA history and remains a staple of pre-game hig
• Miller spent all 18 of his NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers, making him one of the most loyal single-franchise players in the league's history.
• He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, and his #31 jersey was retired by the Pacers, ensuring no future player will wear that number in Indianapolis.
• Miller was a five-time NBA All-Star and a seven-time All-NBA selection during his Pacers career, proving he was not just a shooter but an elite two-way player.