Reggie misses Hall cut; Mullin finalist
Reggie Miller Credit: Newsday file photo
LOS ANGELES - When it comes to nominating Reggie Miller as a Hall of Fame finalist, the panel apparently choked.
One of the most entertaining villains in Garden history was left off a list of 12 finalists for this year's Basketball Hall of Fame class, which was announced Friday.
"Although I'm disappointed not to be included on this year's ballot,'' he said on his Twitter account Friday, "I sincerely wish the best of luck to this year's Class of Finalists, all of whom I admire and respect greatly.''
The list of finalists include former St. John's star Chris Mullin, Dennis Rodman, Jamaal Wilkes, Ralph Sampson and former Knick (and, of course, 76ers great) Maurice Cheeks, along with coaches Dick Motta, Tex Winter and Herb Magee.
The women's committee nominees were Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer and four-time Olympian Teresa Edwards. Referee Hank Nichols was named a finalist along with Al Attles, who has served more than 50 years as a player, coach, general manager, executive and consultant with the Golden State Warriors.
Miller averaged 20.6 points in 144 career playoff games and reached the NBA Finals in 2000. He and Michael Jordan were two of the Knicks' most feared rivals in the 1990s. Miller was famous for making a choke sign toward Spike Lee late in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks won that series in seven games. The following year, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds for a stunning comeback win by the Pacers over the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Current Knicks president Donnie Walsh was general manager of the Pacers during Miller's career. He drafted Miller 11th overall in 1987 and was criticized for the decision to take Miller over Indiana native Steve Alford.
"I feel very thankful to Reggie for what he did for the Pacers,'' Walsh said earlier this week. "I just think he deserves the honor, whether it comes now or later.''
Fields takes challenge
Knicks rookie Landry Fields started at shooting guard and scored 15 points in the Rookies' 148-140 victory over the Sophomores in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at Staples Center Friday night. Fields shot 6-for-8 from the field and added six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 25:33.
Fields was the seventh Knick to play in the rookie-sophomore showcase and the sixth since 2006, joining Nate Robinson and Channing Frye (2006), David Lee (2007), Wilson Chandler (2009) and Danilo Gallinari (2010). John Wallace (1997) was the first Knick.
The Rookies were led by DeMarcus Cousins' 33 points, Wesley Johnson's 25 and Gary Neal's 20. Cousins had 14 rebounds and MVP John Wall had 12 points and 22 assists. James Harden had 30 points and DeJuan Blair added 28 points and 15 rebounds for the Sophomores.
More NBA news
