Editing Reggie Miller (section)

===Early career (1987–1993)===
Miller was selected by the Pacers with the 11th pick in the first round of the [[1987 NBA draft]].<ref name="1987NBADraft">{{cite web|author=Thomas Bonk|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-23-sp-10144-story.html|title=NBA DRAFT : UCLA's Miller Surprised at Being Picked by Indiana|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 23, 1987|access-date=January 29, 2021|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204180432/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-23-sp-10144-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Fans were initially upset that the Pacers chose Miller over [[New Castle, Indiana]], native [[Steve Alford]]; fans watching the 1987 NBA draft booed Pacers President [[Donnie Walsh]] for the selection.<ref name="1987NBADraft"/> Miller wore jersey number 31 while playing for the Pacers, backing up shooting guard [[John Long (basketball, born 1956)|John Long]] before he became a starter. Miller gained a respectable reputation early in his career as he led the Indiana Pacers to become a perennial playoff team.

After [[Chuck Person]] was traded from the Pacers during the 1992 offseason, Miller established himself as the Pacers' primary scoring threat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-09-sp-261-story.html|title=Richardson Traded to Pacers, Timberwolves Get Person : NBA: Former UCLA star will be reunited with Reggie Miller. Pistons trade John Salley to the Heat.|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 9, 1992|access-date=January 29, 2021|archive-date=August 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815115629/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-09-sp-261-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 28, 1992, he scored a career-high 57 points against the [[1992–93 Charlotte Hornets season|Charlotte Hornets]] in a 134–122 win at [[Charlotte Coliseum]]. In this game, Miller hit 16 of 29 field goals, 4 of 11 3-pointers, and 21 of 23 free throws.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199211280CHH.html|title=Indiana Pacers at Charlotte Hornets Box Score, November 28, 1992|publisher=[[Basketball-Reference.com]]|access-date=January 29, 2021|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121153852/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199211280CHH.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The 57 points he scored was the second-highest total in the NBA during the 1992–93 season (only Michael Jordan's 64 against Orlando on January 16 was higher), and still stands today as the Pacers' NBA franchise team record, although [[George McGinnis]] holds the Pacers all-time franchise record with 58 points in an [[American Basketball Association|ABA]] game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Montieth |first=Mark |date=September 8, 2017 |title=At the Top of his Career, McGinnis Remained Down to Earth |url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/top-his-career-mcginnis-remained-down-earth-0 |access-date=April 20, 2023 |website=[[National Basketball Association]] |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420073014/https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/top-his-career-mcginnis-remained-down-earth-0 |url-status=live }}</ref>