The NBA has seen great players come and go and every year the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honors a select few NBA players to be enshrined alongside other legends. Every draft class has its marquee names and for 2012, sharp-shooter Reggie Miller is one of those players that everyone knows. Miller will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this week and a life-long journey will finally come to an end.
Once players like Miller get the ultimate individual honor of being named a Hall of Fame player, their place among the league’s greats is always put to question. Miller was an elite player during his day, but there have been other superstar shooting guards in the NBA. However, Mark Jackson, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, told the Indianapolis Star that he believes Miller is the third greatest shooting guard the NBA has ever seen.
“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.
There is very little debate as to whether or not Kobe and Jordan are the two best shooting guards in league history. At this point, Jordan is usually put ahead of Kobe, but once it’s all said and done Bryant could claim the top spot. However, not many people have Miller at the number three spot.
When comparing players’ career, perhaps the most important number is championship rings. Kobe and Jordan have won a handful of championships, but Miller does not own a single one. So although Miller can be considered the greatest shooter in league history, having him as the third greatest shooting guard could be a stretch.
Regardless, we could like to congratulate Reggie Miller and the rest of the Class of 2012.
