Reggie Miller has some thoughts.
Few are qualified to speak on topics that include comparing Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant with one another.
Miller meets all the qualifications.
The basketball Hall of Famer battled both Jordan and Bryant in their primes.
And he had the game to back it up.
Miller is the greatest player in Indiana Pacers franchise history, and before Steph Curry came along, he was regarded as the game’s greatest three-point shooter.
The man could hoop.
So when he has opinions on how Jordan and Bryant stack up with one another, it’s important to listen.
The NBA great appeared recently on the All the Smoke podcast, where he surprisingly gave the nod in favor of Bryant when it came to discussing the two player’s skillset.
“He took it to another level, I think,” Miller said.
“Kobe was a much better shooter. Fundamentals, they were uhm…But Kobe was a better three-point shooter.
“He took it…he was almost like MJ on steroids.”
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“He watched every film when he was over in Italy on MJ,” Miller continued.
“I’m not kidding you. He had the footwork down to a pack. Down, everything, but he put his little flare into it.
“People talking about LeBron and Mike, I mean, Kobe gets left out.”
Miller and Jordan had titanic battles throughout the entire 1990s, culminating in an epic seven-game series in the Eastern Conference finals in 1998, where Jordan emerged victorious.
The Chicago Bulls came away with an 88-83 victory that saw Jordan go for 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Meanwhile, Miller finished with 22 points including 4 three-pointers.
NBA’s Greatest
However, just two years later, Miller was able to get the Pacers all the way to the NBA finals.
Facing off against none other than a 21-year-old Kobe Bryant, prime Shaquille O’Neal, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant and the Lakers defeated Miller’s Pacers in a competitive six-game series.
Jordan defeated Miller on the way to his last championship in ’98, while Bryant took down the Indiana legend for his first championship in ’00.
Few can speak on Jordan’s and Bryant’s games like Miller can.
So when he does, we all should listen.
Now, Miller can be found rooting on his Pacers 25 years later since he made the Finals, and watch the new era of Indiana basketball try to win the franchise’s first ever NBA championship.
The Pacers are up 2-1 on the Oklahoma City Thunder, and are now just two wins away.
