The beef between Kobe Bryant and Reggie Miller is one of the most memorable rivalries in NBA history. It all came to a head on March 1, 2002, during a heated game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers.
The incident began when Kobe Bryant attempted a three-pointer toward the end of the game, as the Lakers were easily going to win the game.
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Reggie Miller, known for his sharpshooting and competitive spirit, took exception to Bryant’s shot and the two players exchanged heated words. The situation escalated quickly, with Kobe lunging at Miller, looking for a fight.
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As Kobe swung at Miller, the two wrapped each other up, knocked over the referee, and fell onto the scorer’s table, where they continued to fight as their teammates surrounded them. Eventually, the two were separated and were eventually hit with fines and suspensions.
Most fans remember this classic fight, but what was the relationship between Miller and Kobe before this fight? What caused this altercation and what was the aftermath of the Reggie Miller and Kobe Bryant brawl?
Miller was one of the biggest stars during the 1990s and he was arguably the second-best shooting guard of the decade, only behind the great Michael Jordan. Kobe came into the league in 1996 and he was looking to challenge both Miller and Jordan for the title of the best shooting guard and even for the title of the best player in the entire NBA.
In the summer before the 1999-00 NBA season, Bryant and Miller met up in Los Angeles. At the time, Kobe and Miller were filming an episode of the MTV show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge.
The two decided to play a game of one-on-one, and Kobe not only wanted to beat Miller to showcase his incredible ability and undoubtedly earn bragging rights, but he saw this time as a valuable opportunity to learn from Miller’s skills—just in case he ever faced him in an NBA game.
Kobe once spoke about his time with Miller, showing everyone his dedication to learning and getting better at the game of basketball.
“I was filming some show at UCLA, and Reggie Miller was up there. I said, ‘OK, they’ve got a really good team. We might see these guys.’ And I said, ‘Let’s play one-on-one.’ And we played one-on-one, and I proceeded to really measure him.
“See what he liked to do defensively, see where he moves, see where he was weak at, and what I could exploit. So when that happened and the Finals were here, I knew what I had and knew what I could take. I knew what he would give me. It was a matter of just measuring and going to work. It was a thought-out attack.”
Yes, later on in the season, Kobe’s Lakers met Miller’s Pacers in the NBA Finals. Despite injuring his ankle in Game 2, which caused him to miss Game 3, Kobe looked to put his mark on the 2000 NBA Finals, using a move he learned from Miller.
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In Game 4, the game went into overtime, and Shaq fouled out, giving the Pacers a great chance to win, especially since the game was played in Indiana. This was where Kobe took over. He scored eight points on 4-5 shooting, while using a step back move he learned from Miller, against the Pacers star.
Miller recounted this in an interview on the Dan Patrick Show:
“As he’s running down the court, he pats me on the back and says, ‘You never should have shown me that step back.'”
Kobe and his Lakers would defeat Miller’s Pacers in six games, earning Kobe the first of his five NBA championships. Miller would never reach another NBA Finals, making him one of the best players in NBA history to not win a championship.
Kobe and Miller’s relationship, which saw them as friends before the fight, never truly recovered after the brawl, but that didn’t stop the two from respecting each other. In fact, during Kobe’s final season in 2016, Miller gave the ultimate praise to his former rival.
“I love him, I hate him, and I respect him,” Miller said. “I love him because, when you come in at 18, and you play 20 years at the shooting guard position, and to end it all with one (championship ring) for the thumb and the amount of minutes, points, and mileage that he’s put on his baggage, that shows me a love for the game.”
Let’s now dive deeper into the famous fight between Kobe and Miller. What caused the two superstars to go to blows? According to Kobe’s former teammate, Robert Horry, the two were elbowing each other and trash-talking throughout the entire game.
The two agreed to meet at half-court to settle their differences and this led to the fight. Two days after the fight in 2002, Miller was asked about what led to the incident and Miller’s answer was quite cryptic.
“Kobe has other issues he has to deal with. This had nothing to do with me or the basketball game played on Friday evening.”
What exactly was Miller referring to? While it’s hard to say for sure what Miller was hinting at, it appears the Pacers’ sharpshooter knew Kobe was dealing with an off-court basketball issue.
One possible answer to this could be Kobe’s sour relationship with his parents, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, and Pamela Bryant. Kobe’s relationship became strained with his parents the year before his fight with Miller when he married Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta (later Vanessa Laine Bryant).
Vanessa was a backup dancer in a Kobe rap video, and the two quickly connected. However, Kobe’s parents disapproved of their marriage. The belief is that their disapproval was largely due to Vanessa’s Mexican heritage rather than being African American.
Was this the truth behind Kobe’s uncontrolled anger with Miller during that 2002 regular-season game? Or was this yet another head game Kobe was playing to get one up on Miller and all of his opponents in the NBA?
