Reggie Miller garnered a lesser received but deserving praise from his once-constant rival from the Detroit Pistons. Notably, the Indiana Pacers icon is quite popular as one of the best shooters in NBA history, but his other ability often misses the attention it should have received. The ability to move around the court constantly, making him a nightmare to defend. However, ex-Pistons star Rip Hamilton has now given the 5x All-Star his flowers.

Hamilton shared an old video where he had talked about the art of moving around without the ball. “The best lessons come from being thrown in the fire and taking your lumps. Learning from the GOAT @reggiemillertnt on how to move without the ball was invaluable,” he wrote in the caption of his Instagram post. He further gave a shootout to the 5x All-Star for guidance. Miller, coming across the tribute, responded to the post with his comment, “Game recognizes BALLER”.

Even the great Kobe Bryant himself once stated the hardest player to guard was Reggie Miller. And the reasoning behind this was simple — the Knick Killer did not need the ball in his hand to score. Miller was always in motion and his proficiency lied in making the right cut off of any screen. Yet another NBA player to possess a similar playing style based on constant movement? Rip Hamilton himself. The two players faced each other multiple times during the matchups between the Pacers and the Pistons.

The easier way of describing them on the court would be to imagine a constant chase like Tom and Jerry. Hamilton spoke of his experience of playing with the 5x All-Star in the video he shared in his post. “I hate guarding it when I go against guys like Reggie Miller. And when I played against him, I hate guarding it because continuously moving around,” he said. Further detailing the Pacers icon’s playing style, Hamilton mentioned how Reggie would bump him, use his hands to push off, and hold in the grab not just on the defense, but also on the offense.

The fact Hamilton used to watch tapes to understand Miller’s gameplay reflects the admiration he had for the Knick Killer. In a separate video, the ex-Pistons star admitted he “would steal little stuff off of him (Reggie) every year”. And the 3x All Star is said to have reached the point that even Miller would find it difficult to trace his perpetual motion. This was the time the Pacers tried using 2004 DPOY on Hamilton, but it did not matter much.

“I had nothing”: Metta World Peace found Rip Hamilton the toughest player to guard

As mentioned earlier, Metta (then Ron Artest) was the 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Apart from this, he also made it to the All-Defensive Team 4 times. So, his defensive skills are unquestionable, but what if the opponent is Rip Hamilton?

Appearing on an episode of ‘The OGs’ podcast, Metta termed the ex-Pistons star as his worst nightmares as a defender. “Rip Hamilton… At this point, I said, ‘Guys, my track shoes are on, I’m not going to have no energy for offense.’ I had nothing. I couldn’t do nothing else,” he stated on the podcast.

Even the 3x NBA champ Dwyan Wade had once stated Hamilton as his most hated defensive assignment. The answers are understandable, considering Rip’s relentless off-ball movement, and his ability to knock down mid-range jumpers. If, after a point, Reggie Miller could not, it’s just hard to expect from any other player to keep up with him.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us in the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.