Reggie is my hero

This is all about Reggie Miller. I waited until his Pacers were eliminated from the playoffs to give my perspective on his career because I didn't want to jinx anything. I was honestly hoping that they'd force a game 7, or maybe pull the upset. I wasn't ready to see him go. But in the end the Pistons were a little too much for even Reggie to take. First, I'll just give the basics on Reggie for general perspective. His career stats: 1389 Games (7th all time), 47,619 minutes, 88% FT, 39.5% 3pt, 25,279 points (13th all time), 18.2 ppg, 8 seasons over 90% from the FT line, 10 seasons over 40% from the 3pt line, career high of 57 points. Those are just some of the highlights. They only encompass the regular season. We all know that Reggie did his real damage in the playoffs. Reggie is one of the greatest clutch shooters of all time, and definately the greatest clutch shooter of his era. No single player put fear in the hearts of his opponents like Reggie, even to his final series. Enough that the Pistons participated in the extended standing ovation given to Reggie at Conseco Fieldhouse (the only positive to going out when he did was that he got to end his career at home). He always gave his team a chance to win. He was also loyal in an era where loyalty has generally been abandoned, Reggie stayed true to Indiana for his entire career, passing up a chance to win a championship elsewhere. Reggie was public enemy #1 to every other team in the league, especially Spike Lee's Knicks. He single handedly made John Starks cry. He could run through a number of moving screens, get the ball just in time for his man to rush out as he busted another game winning fadeaway three ball at the buzzer. The only player that compares to Reggie from the clutch shooter standpoint is Rex Chapman, and Rex deserves an article all to himself. But Rex couldn't hold a candle to Reggie. Over time, Reggie has seen his role with the team change from superstar to role player. He is a consumate professional, tutoring younger players, yet repeatedly coming through for the team, much the way he did after the suspensions handed down to Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson. Reggie donates to a number of charities and spends his time visiting schools and hospitals. He was an amazing asset the National Basketball Association. I'm distressed about Reggie's retirement. As long as I've been paying attention, Reggie's been there to make it dramatic. But now he's gone. We're all better to have seen him play, except maybe the Knicks. He is a superstar, and future Hall of Famer, despite what the haters might say. Reggie Miller is my hero. Long live Reggie.