Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson Talk Larry Bird’s Coaching Stories During Pacers Play

In a recent episode of the program Come and talk to me podcast, former Indiana Pacers guards Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson discussed some of their experiences with the Pacers.

Jackson and Miller shared a defense in Indianapolis from 1995 to 2000. They were teammates on some of the greatest Pacers teams in history — they came within a game of the NBA Finals in 1998 and made it there in 2000.

Their coach from 1998-2000 was Larry Bird, a legendary player turned coach turned general manager. Bird won coach of the year in 1998 and enjoyed great success leading the Pacers with his unique style.

Miller and Jackson recalled the game in which they both had a memorable interaction with Bird. “We were standing in the layup line, and Reg and I, as team captains, had to go back and talk to Larry Bird before the game,” Jackson began. He couldn’t remember what they would have had to bother the coach about, but they both ran off the court and to the back of the arena.

From there, Miller took over the story. “Jack and I went back to the locker room and said, ‘Where’s Coach Bird?’ They were told their coach was in his office, so they went to check, and he wasn’t there. Slick Leonard, the former Pacers coach who was a commentator at the time, suggested to the players that Bird might be in the shower area.

“We’re going back to the shower because we had to ask him that question,” Miller continued. “Before we go out there, let’s turn the corner. Larry Legend is sitting in a chair, he’s got a pack of Newports. He’s just smoking.”

“What do you need?” Bird said, according to Miller’s recollection.

The two former players never explained how the story happened, saying only that the sight affected their play that night in the game. Neither Jackson nor Miller ever mentioned it to Bird. The entire podcast episode can be found here , and the story appears at the end of the episode.