” I remember the reaction from them like I was looking at it like ‘Yo, this man is the man for real’.” Despite being in the top 75 alongside Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson was star-struck seeing the legend. This feeling is universal whenever people meet His Airness. But the story was reversed for an actor/producer, and he only got to know after speaking with Reggie Miller.

“I got a good backstory. So, I was at the forum. Shaq gave me tickets. I took my grandmother, who died of breast cancer. But we went to the back of the locker room, and Jordan had been there that night.” Robert Ri’chard spoke on Byron Scott’s podcast about going to a Lakers game and meeting Michael Jordan unexpectedly.

“And I had done enough sports movies that as I’m walking up and seeing MJ, MJ’s like, ‘Hey, can I get a picture for me and my kids? Cause they love all the stuff that you’ve done.’ So, MJ got a photo with me and him on his camera.” But the story doesn’t end there for the Daytime Emmy Award winner.

“Then years later, I was at a dinner with Reggie Miller. And he’s like, ‘Oh, I see your picture on top of MJ’s television at his house.’ And I’m like, that’s a cool full-circle story.”

So, first Robert Ri’chard had a connection with Shaquille O’Neal, as they worked together for a brief project in 1996. ‘Sports Theater with Shaquille O’Neal‘ was a show on Nickelodeon, in which the Lakers legend was a host. Ri’chard played the character of a high school kid, who wanted to make it to the basketball team. But due to being just 4 feet, 11 inches tall, the task was difficult. Playing the role of hooper meant he met Shaq.

Which later, during a game, led to meeting Michael Jordan. Who insisted on clicking pictures, because of the work the actor had done. Ultimately, the “full-circle” moment happened when Reggie Miller told him that the picture had a special place in the 6x NBA champion’s house. Another interesting thing to note is the relationship between the Pacers legend and MJ. Once Miller explained why he would never come to Chicago.

Despite being a rival, Reggie Miller respected Michael Jordan

When Miller was a rookie, he faced off against the 6x Finals MVP in an exhibition game for the first time. Being a rookie, he started well in the game with 10 points at halftime, as MJ could only score 4. One of his Pacers teammates, Chuck Person, wanted Miller to trash talk.  “You’re Michael Jordan? The guy who walks on water?” That turned out to be a big mistake.

Despite being an exhibition game, the Bulls legend added with a total of 44 and Miller could only add 2 more to take his tally to 12. Once when he was asked if he would ever leave the Indiana team for better teams. “And if Michael Jordan ever would have called me and tried to sway me to come to Chicago, I would have told him to go f–k himself… I’ll be down to see you. I never came close to going anywhere else.”

Even Michael Jordan had a hard time playing against the Pacers legend. “I don’t really dislike anybody in the league, but playing Reggie Miller drives me nuts.” Because of both of their abilities to play hard, they developed a respect for each other. Naturally, this led to Miller visiting MJ’s house and spotting the picture of Robert Ri’chard,