Back in the ’90s, nothing screamed tension like the Knicks vs. Pacers rivalry. It wasn’t just two teams fighting, it was a battle between two cities! From 1993 to 2000, they clashed six times in the playoffs, each team winning three of those battles. The matches were something that had every fan on the edge of their seats as the players held nothing back to knock the opposition out. It was not for no reason that Reggie Miller ended up doing the iconic choke sign at the Knicks’ superfan Spike Lee at the Garden. That single moment captured just how personal the matchup had become for both teams. It was from that time that the rivalry between Patrick Ewing and Miller stems from!

After that fierce stretch in 2000, when the Pacers won 4–2 in the semi-finals, things slowly started to cool off between the teams. But this season changed that narrative again. In a twist of history, the two met once more in the Eastern Conference Finals. And each game has been fiery between the two. When ESPN asked Ewing about the rivalry, he didn’t shy away from taking a jab. “We won the majority of them even though Reggie came out with a 30 for 30 about how they beat us.” It’s a subtle jab suggesting that Miller’s version of events in the documentary might make it seem like the Pacers dominated, when Ewing believes the Knicks actually had the upper hand.

That quote stirred memories, and not just of Ewing vs. Miller. Recently, an interview of his resurfaced where he was discussing his exit from the Knicks. Reflecting on his departure from the Knicks, he admitted, “I just got tired of hearing it and just thought it was best for me to move on.” That trade didn’t happen overnight. Behind the scenes, whispers had been building for years. “They are saying that the Knicks are better off without him, they need to move on from him,” he remembered. What followed was frustration and fatigue that slowly chipped away at his loyalty. “After 15 years of hearing that, you just get tired of it,” he added with clear disappointment.

Looking back, Ewing didn’t mince words when reflecting on his decision. “In hindsight, I should have stayed,” he admitted in the same interview. At that point in his career, the emotional weight had grown too heavy to carry. The Knicks had made 13 straight playoff appearances with him. He had poured everything into the team, yet the appreciation had started to fade.

“Things didn’t work out the way that we thought in Seattle,” he said, referring to the aftermath of his departure. From there, he moved to Orlando, where he came off the bench, a role that didn’t match his legacy. It wasn’t just the wrong move in basketball terms. It felt like the wrong ending for a player who had given everything to New York.

Reggie Miller reflects on the rivalry with respect for Ewing’s heart and grit

Despite once being New York’s ultimate villain, Reggie Miller never lost sight of the respect he had for Patrick Ewing. Their rivalry may have fueled the fire between the Pacers and Knicks, but the two inevitably ended up with mutual admiration. Just recently, Miller paid tribute to that bond with a heartfelt Instagram post that surprised many fans.

“Yes oil and water do sometimes mix @nyknicks… Patrick’s Knicks and my beloved @pacers used to go for the jugular every time we played against one another,” Miller wrote. “But I have so much respect for Patrick because of his immense heart to the game of basketball. Will forever cherish the battles, iron sharpens iron.” That message was a reminder that two fierce competitors can still value each other’s greatness.

Their relationship wasn’t always this open. Back in the ’90s, the respect was quiet, buried under hard fouls and late-game heroics. Miller wanted to break the Knicks’ hearts; Ewing wanted to protect them. But over the years, something shifted. They began to see not just the rival in each other, but the dedication, sacrifice, and love for the game they both shared. That recognition slowly turned into a real friendship.

Knicks fans may still remember Miller’s choke sign or his cold-blooded threes, but even they admit something now. “I’m from New York. I hated you, but I respect you so much,” Miller says fans often tell him. He laughs about it today, knowing that true respect doesn’t vanish with the final buzzer; rather, it often grows long after the game ends.

Reggie Miller will always be the “Knick Killer” in the eyes of many, but to Ewing, he’s something else entirely. A rival, yes. But also a peer, a warrior, and a friend who helped define an era of unforgettable basketball.