We’re so close to breathing a sigh of relief and saying, “Finally.”
Why? Because UCLA Basketball legend Reggie Miller, a cultural basketball icon in the 90s, is a finalist for the 2012 Naishmith Basketball Hall of Fame. From ESPN.com:
"The Indiana Pacers great with the smoothest of strokes was announced Friday as a first-time finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is one of 12 finalists for the class of 2012.“When you’re in the backyard and you’re trying to play the 3-2-1 game, and you’re trying to be the Iceman (George Gervin) and do the figure roll. … Now to be on the same stage with these guys. It’s just a great honor,” Miller said.Miller, a five-time All-Star, was joined as a first-time finalist by five-time NCAA Final Four coach Rick Pitino, former NBA coach Bill Fitch and two-time Olympic gold medalist Katrina McClain.On the ballot again are Don Nelson, Maurice Cheeks, Bernard King, Dick Motta, Hank Nichols, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes and the All-American Red Heads, known as the female version of the Harlem Globetrotters and the first women’s professional basketball team."
And the berth is long overdue, too.
If you recall, Miller was snubbed last year, his first year of eligibility for getting into the Hall of Fame. We all knew he was robbed, and it’s good to know that the wrong is so close to being righted.
Reggie played for UCLA from 1983 to 1987. In his tenure, he managed to finish second on UCLA’s all-time scoring list, while also holding an incredible amount of single-game scoring records. He played with the Pacers for his entire 18-year career — a feat that’s pretty damn rare, given the mobility of NBA players, both back in the 80s/90s and today — and is second all-time (behind Ray Allen) in three-pointers made at the NBA level.
UCLA salutes you, Reg. GO BRUINS!!!