Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are regarded as the best shooting guards ever to play the game. Over the last couple of years, Dwyane Wade has been included in the debate, with many claiming he’s the third-best two-guard ever.
Basketball analyst and former coach Mark Jackson chucked in a new player into the GOAT shooting guard debate. According to the ex- Indiana Pacers guard, his teammate Reggie Miller is one of the best two-guards ever.
"When you take Michael Jordan and you take Kobe Bryant out of the discussion, he's as good as any two-guard that has ever played the game," Jackson said .
Reggie Miller, SG GOAT?
Jackson dropped those comments in 2012. Over 10 years later, Miller’s name hasn’t come up in the SG GOAT debate. Maybe because he doesn’t have an NBA Championship on his resume.
Meanwhile, Wade has three NBA titles with the Miami Heat. His first one in 2006 already sealed his place in the history books as a terrific two-way guard. When he won two more, he showed that a true superstar knows how to tweak his game to accommodate another.
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GOAT shooter
Reggie may have a tough hill to climb not due to his shortcomings but because it’s almost impossible to top the accomplishments of Wade, more so of Kobe and MJ.
But Miller shouldn’t feel bad. He’s had tremendous influence in the game and could still be felt today. Back in the 90s when the 3-pointer was considered a bad shot, the Pacers icon showed that it can be lethal if you’re absolutely good at it.
Yes, he never won a title, but the Knick Killer gave fans some of the best games in NBA history. He’s also given so much to the Pacers organization. Jackson is appalled that the Pacers haven’t built a statue for Miller , who played all 18 years of his professional career in Indiana.
"To me it's criminal — when you look at, whether it be Madison Square Garden or Indiana to not have a statue — especially in Indiana, to not have a statue of Reggie Miller outside of that building is a crime,” Jackson once said .
Only time will tell if the Pacers finally honor Reggie. But his influence on how the game is being played today is tremendous. Kids nowadays only see Stephen Curry as the GOAT shooter. But even the Golden State Warriors guard knows that Miller paved the way for him to be great.
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