You ever get that feeling something’s meant to be the final act? Like the basketball gods scripted it long before any of us even dreamed? Knicks vs. Pacers. Reggie Miller calling the shots. A farewell tour disguised as a second-round playoff battle. This isn’t just nostalgia — it’s pure poetry in motion.
And just when you think it can’t get any more perfect, here’s the ultimate plot for you: this is the very last NBA series TNT will broadcast under its current TV deal. A goodbye, a curtain call, a season finale wrapped in playoff drama. And Rachel Nichols, an American sportscaster and journalist, put it best: “End of an era, no one better than @reggiemillertnt and Kevin Harlan to take @nbaontnt home with #Knicks-#Pacers.”
There are few voices more synonymous with clutch-time chaos than Reggie Miller’s. And there are few matchups more cinematic than Knicks vs. Pacers. Throw in the Spike Lee subplot, the decades of disdain turned friendship, and you’ve got a series that’s practically humming with emotional symmetry.
“Glad Reggie and Spike are friends now ,” one fan posted. Because yeah, in a twist that feels scripted by a Netflix sports doc crew, the villain is now a welcome narrator.
Reggie Miller and Spike Lee’s rivalry is one of the most iconic player-fan duels in NBA history. Spike Lee, an acclaimed film director and lifelong New York Knicks superfan, has been a fixture courtside at Madison Square Garden for decades. Their feud reached its peak during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals when Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter of Game 5, leading the Indiana Pacers to a comeback victory over the Knicks.
During his scoring spree, Miller famously directed a choking gesture towards Lee, who had been heckling him throughout the game. This moment not only intensified the Knicks-Pacers rivalry but also cemented Miller’s reputation as the “Knick Killer.” Over time, the animosity between the two transformed into mutual respect, with both acknowledging the role they played in each other’s legacies. Their storied past adds a poignant layer to TNT’s final NBA broadcast. As Miller returns to MSG not as a player but as a commentator, bringing their narrative full circle.
What the fans have to say about Reggie Miller & Co.’s last goodbye to the NBA coverage
Fans had a bittersweet reaction to this news because, well, we’re all human. We’re all fans of the basketball world and the classic commentary of Reggie Miller that comes with it, and there is no denying that. And honestly, nothing less would be expected out of the fans except to comment on their truest feelings.
“As a fan, this is special…. Can’t wait,” one fan wrote. “This is what it’s all about @reggiemillertnt ” The playoff series between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers begins in New York. The same place where Reggie etched himself into Madison Square Garden infamy in 1995 with a flurry of 8 points in 9 seconds. It’s also the city where Spike Lee gestured, ranted, and eventually laughed alongside his one-time nemesis. The drama is ready to write itself again—but this time, Reggie will be armed with a headset, not a heat check.
And that’s what makes this so poignant. This isn’t just the end of Reggie Miller’s TNT run. It’s the end of an era in NBA broadcasting—the final stretch for a network that made Inside the NBA not just iconic, but intimate. There was no show like it. There may never be again.
“It’s super sad @nbaontnt just has one more series to cover and it’s done!” another fan lamented. “For many years TNT broadcasts have been entertaining and it won’t be the same… four guys who really make the show funny but great basketball minds.”
And here’s the thing: It’s not just Turner’s loss. It’s our loss. NBA on TNT didn’t just report the game. It elevated it, embraced awkward silences. It let guys talk. Roasted, joked, and humanized players in a way no other broadcast did. Think about it: How many shows could turn a halftime breakdown into comedy gold? Or make the simplest things feel like a canon event?
So when Reggie Miller steps into Madison Square Garden this week, he’s not just stepping into his past. He’s stepping into basketball history’s swan song.
“The dudes at Up In Smoke made me stop hating @reggiemillertnt for the first time since he joined the league,” one fan wrote. “I’m a sucker for a loving family. The pride, love and respect he displayed when he was talking about @cmill31 was beautiful. How can I hate that man after that?”
That’s the Reggie we get to hear now. Not the assassin who gutted New York’s soul in the ‘90s. But the storyteller who adds life to today’s hardwood drama. He’s no longer the enemy—he’s the essential narrator.
And for all the streaming, switching, and seismic shifts in sports media, it’s hard to imagine any combo replacing what Reggie Miller and the entire TNT crew bring to a broadcast. The rhythm, chemistry, and oh boy, the sheer joy.
“Nahhhh, we need NBA on TNT,” a fan put simply. Yes, the rights might go elsewhere. Yes, the game will still be played. But will it feel the same?
Reggie’s voice has become part of the NBA soundtrack. From the squeak of sneakers to the rising decibel levels of MSG in June, he’s called the league through its wildest crescendos. So when he signs off this series, it won’t just be a goodbye to the Pacers-Knicks rivalry or even to Turner Sports.
It’ll be America’s farewell to an era that let basketball breathe. And that? That’s why it’s bittersweet. Because if you grew up on TNT Tuesdays and Thursday night showdowns, you would know: This is the end of something you didn’t know you were going to miss this much.
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