Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls: 5 most hated rival players of all-time

By Andrew Miller

Chicago Bulls (Electronic Image) AFP Photo/Jeff KOWALSKY (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Electronic Image) AFP Photo/Jeff KOWALSKY (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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29 May 1998: Reggie Miller #31 of the Indiana Pacers gestures as referee Jerry Crawford looks on during an Eastern Conference Final game against the Chicago Bulls at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 92-89.
29 May 1998: Reggie Miller #31 of the Indiana Pacers gestures as referee Jerry Crawford looks on during an Eastern Conference Final game against the Chicago Bulls at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 92-89. /

5. Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers

When the Chicago Bulls were starting their descent from the top at the end of the 1990’s, A.K.A. the dynasty years, a number of divisional opponents were looking to take that mantle. The two that stuck out above the rest, at least in the late 1990’s, were the Indiana Pacers and the Pistons. And the main rival on the Pacers was a very agitating sharpshooting guard by the name of Reggie Miller.

Miller made a name for himself by agitating stars in the East like MJ and pretty much the entire Knicks team. It is made famous by now how much Miller was able to get in the head of Knicks shooting guard Tony Starks. It didn’t seem to work as well on the rest of the Knicks starters, but it definitely had an impact throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Averaging around 18 points per game with a true shooting percentage hovering around 60 in his career against the Bulls, Miller played some good basketball against his rival from the Windy City. But Jordan was also able to play pretty good defense when he matched up against Reggie. Miller was mostly overmatched by Jordan, but he did average 20 points per game while shooting around four percent better from range.

The overall record of Miller against Jordan was 20-36. He also didn’t have a whole lot of luck in the playoffs. They only met in one series, and it resulted in a Bulls win in what amounted to a classic seven-game matchup.

But the agitator role that Miller liked to play against the Bulls was evident as Jordan averaged around 0.3 more personal fouls per game against the Pacers as he did for his career average.

There were a lot of fun matchups to go back and watch between Miller and the Pacers facing up against the Bulls.

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