Reggie Miller leaves his funny persona behind when he steps foot in the sports arena. Whatever the sport is, Miller has always channeled the same energy as he did on the basketball court. Even after his retirement, the 5x NBA All-Star still had a lot to prove to his fans. Not so surprising then that the former shooting guard began to venture into mountain biking.

Last year, Miller took on Finnish F1 star Valtteri Bottas in a gravel race. This prompted the revered mountain bike journal, Mountain Flyer, to bring its readers closer to Miller’s biking adventures.

Reggie Miller “floats through the crowd” as “reclusive” Valtteri Bottas gets eclipsed

Fans are no stranger to the Indiana Pacers legend’s love for biking. One of the most intriguing examples of this is the TNT analyst’s social media accounts. A quick stroll through his Instagram shows his love for the sport. However, what not many people know about is his undeterred competitiveness. Similar to basketball, Reggie Miller is cycling not only for fun but also to achieve his very best.

The thrill intensifies for him even more when he competes against a legend of another craft. Back in one of his Mountain biking races, SBT GRVL, Miller was able to outshine the Finnish F1 Racer Valtteri Bottas. While Bottas reportedly crossed the line 4th overall and Miller followed him up on the 5th spot, it was the NBA great who earned all the praise.

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As mentioned in the Mountain Flyer, “Bottas has six times the Instagram following of Miller. But when it comes to mingling with the masses, Bottas is more reclusive. If Bottas carries the quiet ferocity of a competitor, Miller floats through the crowd with the exuberance of someone basking in a newfound passion.”

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What’s even more interesting is how the legend fell in love with such a different sport.

Reggie Miller pedaled his passion for cycling

While it might surprise some, athletes often crave new challenges and avenues to channel their competitive spirit. However, it started as a simple endeavor for Miller to maintain fitness and look great in his suit for TNT. 

Following this, he began to take longer rides and enjoy and explore more. He would often go on cycling trips to Malibu. Soon, he started to take up races and even won two Beginner 50+ categories.

Reggie Miller’s amateur mountain biking career began not long after that. Like many athletes, Miller began biking in an endeavor to maintain his conditioning post-retirement. Clearly, it seems to be escalating into a more serious pursuit. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.

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