Miller Featured on FSN Beyond the Glory

Reggie Miller recounts his life and his evolution as a basketball player for a Fox Sports Net documentary on his life.
(Special Photo)
Fox Sports Net News Release
April 15, 2004

Fox Sports Net (FSN) tells the story of Indiana Pacers superstar Reggie Miller - of his life on and off the basketball court - in the latest episode of the critically-acclaimed documentary seriesBeyond the Glory. The nationally televised, one-hour show airs Sunday, April 18, at 8:00 PM on FSN.

Beyond the Glory: Reggie Miller chronicles Miller's passion for basketball and perfectly-arced three-pointer. The Pacers veteran has overcome a series of obstacles to help transform the Pacers into one of the NBA's top franchises.

Miller grew up the fourth of five siblings, including sister and future Olympian Cheryl Miller, in Riverside, Calif., a town compared to Andy Griffith's "Mayberry." Although born with a deformity of the legs, which forced him to wear leg braces for five years, Reggie fought hard to overcome his physical limitations and before long was playing one-on-one with Cheryl in their backyard.

He went on to play for UCLA, where in the spring of 1985, Miller led the Bruins to the NIT Title Game against Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers. In 1987, he was surprised to be drafted by the Indiana Pacers. In his first season he set the NBA record for three-pointers by a rookie, and by his third year he was averaging 25 points per game. He made himself part of the Indianapolis community, mentoring children and visiting children in schools and hospitals.

Beyond the Glory remembers Miller and the Pacer's legendary confrontations with Spike Lee and the New York Knicks, and their eventual playoff triumphs including the 2000 Eastern Conference crown. The show also looks back at the mysterious arson that burned Miller's home to the ground, and the times he considered leaving Indiana or retiring from basketball.

Those interviewed in addition to Reggie Miller include: father Saul Miller, sisters Cheryl Miller and Tammy Miller, brother Darrell Miller, director Spike Lee, NBA great Magic Johnson, former coach Larry Bird, former Pacers teammate Mark Jackson, former UCLA teammate Jack Haley, Pacers CEO/President Donnie Walsh

Excerpts from the documentary:

  • Reggie Miller on staying in Indiana - "There was a lot of people telling me to go elsewhere, but I just couldn't do it. I think the character of a man is to establish something where no one else has ever done before."

  • On considering retirement - "In all this, contract negotiations are going on. Someone's burning down my house; do I really want to stay here in Indiana? It made me sit back and think 'Is it all worth it?' And I really didn't think it was."

  • On basketball - "In professional sports you live in the moment and that's what I love about it. Just give me the ball, I don't care how old I get. Give me the ball."

  • Magic Johnson on Miller - "I've never seen a guy work as hard as Reggie Miler. I'm talking about every day."

  • Larry Bird on Miller - "He makes shots that are incredible. If Reggie's got the ball in the final minutes, he's probably going to make the shot." "Reggie's a lot tougher than he looks. You can beat him up, you can knock him down but it seems like he always gets up."

  • Saul Miller on house rules for basketball - "We had a little motto that you play hard, play fair, then you play to win."

  • Darrell Miller on Reggie's training - "He could flat out shoot. And he would never miss and that's how he ended up with that high, high arc he's got. Because Cheryl would be guarding him."

  • Cheryl Miller on the Pacers finally beating the Knicks - "Here was the guy that's been an underdog his whole life. And there was always somebody maybe a little faster, a little bigger, a little more athletic - and he couldn't quite turn the corner, but finally game six in the bully's back yard, Reggie Miller won that fight."

    Upcoming episodes: The critically-acclaimed, Emmy-nominated Beyond the Glory continues with Orlando Magic star Grant Hill airing on Sun., April 25 and boxing legend George Foreman on Sun., May 2.

    Nationally, Fox Sports Net reaches more than 81 million homes through its 20 regional sports channels and serves as the cable TV home to 67 of the 80 MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States. The Midwest region of Fox Sports Net is the cable and satellite television home of Indiana Pacers basketball.

    The show also will be replayed Sunday, April 18 at 11 p.m.; Wednesday, April 21 at 11:30 a.m.; Thursday, April 22 at 1 p.m.; Friday, April 23 at 12 p.m.; Saturday, April 24 and 6 and 9 p.m. and 12 a.m.