Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller was not a fan of Josh Hart's viral taunt during the New York Knicks' Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs.
In the waning moments of the Knicks' come-from-behind win, the Madison Square Garden crowd chanted, "F— you, Reggie!" Miller was calling the game for TNT.
As the Knicks shot free throws, Knicks forward Josh Hart approached Miller at the broadcast table nd said with a grin, "I don't know if you heard, but I think they said, 'F---k you.' I didn't know if you heard!"
Josh Hart to Reggie Miller: "I don't know if you heard but I think they're saying, 'Fuck you.'" pic.twitter.com/Cl4c9mWyNP
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 9, 2024
It became something of a viral moment, with Knicks fans reveling in a dose of revenge toward one of the city's great sports villains.
Miller, however, still doesn't appreciate it. While speaking on Mark Jackson's podcast, Miller called out Hart and the Knicks as "frontrunners."
"Here's the thing I have an issue with, and this is why I cannot stand the Knicks: to me, they're frontrunners," Miller said. "They think that they're God's gift to basketball. Fine, you can think that all you want. But don't front-run when you guys are up and then you guys wanna talk stuff."
Miller said he was fine with the derogatory chants from the MSG crowd and was surprised they didn't start earlier. However, he said Hart threw "gasoline" on the situation.
"Where gasoline was poured on it is when Josh came over to me. Josh Hart," Miller said.
"I don't think there was any — I don't know what was in his head — I don't think there was anything malicious. I think he was trying to be funny. But it was an open mic, so when he came over, I didn't know what he was going to say. But for him to, again, pour gasoline on it, saying — because all you heard on the mic was him saying, 'F you.' So people thought he just came over to me and said 'F you.' Which wasn't the case. But that's when everyone on the internet started to blow things up."
Miller added: "Why am I being dragged into the series? I'm here to work."
Miller said former Pacers players texted him saying they thought what Hart did was wrong.
"He shouldn't have come over and said that in the first place," Miller said. "But it is what it is."
Miller did get the last laugh when the series end. After the Pacers beat an injury-riddled Knicks team in Game 7, Miller took to Instagram to troll the Knicks. He included a screenshot of Hart talking to him in Game 7 and said it's when the series changed (the Pacers won four of five games afterward). Miller also mockingly said the Knicks could go rest in Cancun with their season over.
Miller said his intention was to call that game "down the middle," and acknowledged he would make both fanbases upset if he praised the other team.
However, Miller wasn't exactly neutral before that game. In a pregame media availability, Miller called himself the "boogieman," and said during the pregame, "I've owned this city, I've owned this building."
On Jackson's podcast, Miller said that he hopes to see the Knicks and Pacers rekindle their rivalry and believes they will as both are young, upcoming teams.
Watch Miller's comments below:
