Sometimes, even the star can be surprised by the show.
Reggie Miller was introduced to that phenomenon when he first screened the movie about his role in the Pacers' storied rivalry with the New York Knicks in the 1990s, he told Fred Bierman of The New York Times in a recent Q&A.
"It’s funny because when you’re in the middle of any playoff series, whether it’s against the Knicks of the Bulls or whomever, you’re really focused in on the task at hand, which is obviously winning the series," Miller told Bierman. "I never really looked at the news, I never read the newspapers because you know people plant stories and you never want to read what’s going on in the outside. You just want to focus in on what your game plan is.
"So when I had a chance to see finished product a few months ago I was like, 'Oh, my God.' I didn’t believe Spike (Lee) was saying some of these things, I can’t believe the fans were saying some of these things, I can’t believe I was saying some of these things. So, it was a little painful seeing some of the shots, some of the mistakes. Because you’re like, 'God I wish I could have done that better. I wish I wouldn’t have done that more. Why didn’t I rotate over like this?' It was also therapeutic, though."
The film, "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks" was a hit at the recent Sundance Film Festival and will premiere to the public in a special event on Feb. 26 in Conseco Fieldhouse.
Should Lewis be next honored by Pacers?
Among the many celebrity faces in the crowd Friday night when the Pacers hosted the Cavs was Freddie Lewis, who was in town to attend the annual ABA Pacers old-timers banquet Saturday night.
Mark Montieth attended the banquet and blogged about it at 1070thefan.com, suggesting Lewis was "the most-overlooked Pacers" and should be the next to have his jersey hoisted to the rafters.
"I believe the Pacers have gotten it right in their decisions to retire jerseys," Montieth wrote. "(Mel) Daniels and (George) McGinnis were league MVPs and Roger Brown was MVP of the ABA Finals in 1970 and a great clutch player. Reggie Miller was … well, Reggie Miller, and the most obvious choice of all.
"If they ever decide to expand the boundaries of inclusion, however, Lewis should be next in line. Not only was he an All-Star player and quarterback of three title teams, he seemed to offer endless intangibles that made the championships possible."
Hansbrough's problem "a major setback"
Of the many things that have not gone right for the Pacers this season, perhaps the most surprising have been the health problems that have cost prized rookie Tyler Hansbrough most of his rookie year.
"It's a major setback for us to have a guy that we drafted in the lottery only get just a tad over 500 minutes to this point in time. It's not what he had in mind, not what we had in mind," said Coach Jim O'Brien. "Not only is he injured and missing games, he never got training camp. That is significant. The other thing is when he does get cleared to play … and the only experience they have is 511 minutes, everybody else is playing at a different level.
"It makes it that much more difficult for him to get in and succeed. Everybody is playing at such a higher level, the offenses and the defenses are refined, people are more tied in together so from the standpoint of being able to find minutes for him at the same time you're trying to win every basketball game, that's a puzzle that we're going to have to figure out."
Had things gone according to plan, the polished four-year collegian with a history of durability would be a fixture in the rotation by now. Instead, a shin injury (that turned out to be a carryover from his senior season at North Carolina) kept him out of training camp and preseason. Then came the inner ear infection that has sidelined him the last eight games and 15 of 19.
"We are thrilled to have Tyler as a Pacer," said O'Brien. "We loved his aggressiveness, his ability to get to the foul line. We think he can be a terrific defensive player. We think he's perfect for a high-tempo game. He's a winner. And to go through the large majority of the season without him or the guy that you would expect to be his mentor, Jeff Foster, is a setback but one that you can't dwell on. You have to just go."
