The Story Of Reggie Miller

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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This is a biographie about Reggie Miller, a basketball player for the Indiana Pacers and how he came to be one of the best players in the NBA. With his skinny frame and boyish face to many opponents Reggie Miller looks like a pushover, but he definitely isn't. The 6'7 185-pound guard is one of the most confident and colorful players in the NBA. He like to chat with his opponents because he feels it gives him a mental advantage and he doesn't fear shooting from way outside the three point line. He says sometimes when things are going right he says he feels like he can will the ball into the basket. Reggie has been playing in the NBA for 10 years. He was the first player in history to make 100 three pointers in a season for 7 seasons in a row.

Reggie was born on August 24, 1965 as the fourth of five children.

All of Reggies brothers and sisters where exceptional athletes. His sister Cheryl played basketball for The University of Southern California, led the USA to the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics, and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Darrell played professional baseball for five years with the California Angels. Reggies younger sister Tammy was a volleyball player at Cal-State Fullerton. Saul, Reggies older brother who Reggie says was probably the best athlete of them all, chose to go into the Air Force.

Reggie although has become the most famous off the Miller children. When he was a little boy though he was nothing more than a spectator in the families spirited backyard basketball games. When Reggie was born his hips where badly twisted and deformed, causing his legs and ankles to turn inward. The defect was so severe that doctors told Reggies parents that he would probably never walk without a limp. They said there was no chance that he would ever be able to play sports.

For the first five years of Reggies life he wore steel leg braces and corrective shoes. While all his siblings played basketball, he had to sit at the window and watch. It was a hard time for the entire family. But the Millers remained confident and upbeat. They kept telling Reggie that the doctors where wrong. Reggies parents where more than right.

Reggie got his leg braces off his first year of grade school and immediately found a love for basketball. Reggie was only 5'9 when he was a freshman in high school but he became one of the best players in California. His appearance was deceptive. Although he was bone thin, he was extraordinarily tough. He never quit and didn't allow himself to be intimidated. When his jump shot was on he was practically unstoppable.

After Reggie's high school years he decided to go to college in his hometown. He accepted a scholarship from the University of California at Los Angeles. There he was able to average 17.4 points a game. He was also able to make 54.7 percent of his field goal attempts in college which is a very impressive figure for a guard. Reggies performance in college was good enough he hoped to go to the NBA and it was.

Reggie was chosen by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft. Since than he has proven to be one of the NBA's toughest competitors. He has played in three all star games and was chosen to the United States Dream Team in 1996. As part of that team he helped lead the USA to a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His leadership and big shot making ability made him a vital part of the team.

Reggie has averaged 19.8 points a game in his NBA career. He is a very consistent player, but is at his best in pressure situations. For example his scoring average in the playoffs is 24.7 nearly 5 points more than his usual average. Reggie says that the game is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. He has never been the biggest or the strongest person, but is one of the most highly respected players in the NBA.