Please, Reggie, Stay Away
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by TLong
Dear Reggie Miller,
I need you to do me, and other basketball fans everywhere, a favor; stay retired. Don't come back to the NBA. I know the prospect of joining the new-and-improved Celtics and making a run at the NBA Finals is a tempting thought, but don't act on it. Though you can still shoot better than 75% of the players in the League, coming back would be a bad idea. Making a return could ruin the legacy that you worked so hard in Indiana to build.
First of all, you're an Indiana Pacer. After finishing your career at UCLA, the Pacers drafted you and built their franchise around you. You were wonderful for the franchise, the city of Indianapolis, and the entire state of Indiana. You helped them reach the NBA Finals in 2000, and put a scare into the juggernaut that was the Chicago Bulls on more than one occasion. People can't think about Market Square Arena, and now Conseco Fieldhouse, without thinking of your #31 draining jumpers from all areas of the court. After the Malice at the Palace, the Pacers only had a handful of guys on the roster who were eligible to play, most of whom had no significant NBA experience. Undeterred, you turned back the clock, played some of your best basketball in years, and led the JV Pacers to the playoffs...somehow. None of these memories will be tarnished by you donning a Celtics jersey, but they just prove that there's no reason for you to don a Celtics jersey; you've already had a marvelous career.
Second, you're 42 years old. In real life, that's not very old; in the NBA, it's ancient. Michael Jordan, the best player in NBA history, tried to come back at a younger age than 42 and was a shadow of his former self. Though he still averaged better than 20 ppg with the Wizards, MJ looked nothing like the spry young man he once was. I realize that you're a jump-shooter and rely less on athletic ability than most players, but you need fresh legs to drain jumpers, and 42-year-olds don't have fresh legs. Reggie Miller in his 20s and 30s was one of the best shooters I've ever seen, hitting shots from impossible angles and in clutch moments; Reggie Miller in his 40s wouldn't even compare. We don't want to see you struggle, Reg. We want the lasting image of you to be a fadeaway 3-pointer that drove a dagger into the heart of the opponent, not a guy who's coming off the bench for a different team to score 9 points per game.
Lastly, there isn't much to gain by coming back. You're already considered a fabulous player; probably one of the best of your generation. You have a gold medal, numerous All-Star appearances, several NBA records, the aforementioned NBA Finals appearance, and legions of loyal fans. I know the thought of finally winning an NBA championship is what still drives you, but the risk of embarrassing yourself and tainting a bright career isn't worth it. Besides, the Celtics will probably win the East, but they're still not good enough to beat whichever Western Conference foe they meet in the Finals. And then what? Back to retirement? It just doesn't make sense, Reggie. I hope that at the end of the day, you realize that there is nothing left to prove by coming back and you decide to stay retired and continue your career as an analyst for TNT (at which you're very good, by the way).
We love you, Reggie; we really do. You've had a terrific career and have given us more memories than we could have ever asked for. Please, do us a favor and stay retired so that the freshest image of you in our minds is taunting Spike Lee at the Garden after scoring 8 points in 7 seconds, as opposed to scoring 8 points per game in a jersey that doesn't look right on you.
Forever Yours,
Tyler Long
