8p9s Roundtable: The Flo Jos Are Back
By Jared Wade
2. What is your best memory from when the Indiana Pacers wore Flo Jos?
Donahue: It’s a tie between Game 4 of the 1991 Boston series and walking down the ramps at MSA after the Pacers swept Orlando in 1994 to win their first series. Game 4 featured a fourth-quarter comeback and absolute peak Rifleman. It was the highest point of Pacer playoff success in 15 NBA seasons. Walking down the ramp after the Orlando win was the first real communal experience for the NBA Pacers and the city. For years, we had just trudged down the ramp in individual conversations or in silence. That night, there were yells and whoops of victory, accompanied by the honking of the cars passing under and around Market Square Arena. These are insider memories that I’m fortunate to share with the others who slogged through the ’80s with me, and they’re more vibrant than any others before or since.
That night, there were yells and whoops of victory, accompanied by the honking of the cars passing under and around Market Square Arena. These are insider memories that I’m fortunate to share with the others who slogged through the ’80s with me.
Furr: Easy: 8 points, 8.9 seconds. Reggie Miller’s penultimate moment, shocking the Knicks, rattling John Starks, flashing the choke sign at Spike Lee, and generally swaggering all over the court. That was, and is, the greatest NBA comeback I’ve ever seen, and he did it in New York, in the playoffs.
Washburn: The answer should probably be Reggie’s performances in Madison Square Garden, but my own personal favorite memory is this epic Rik Smits buzzer beater. Ignore the fact that some guy on the internet couldn’t spell the Dunking Dutchman’s name correctly. He had the wherewithal to include the shot with Mark Boyle’s call. The MillerTimePod guys can tell you how important this is. Penny hits the go ahead…the Big Fella wins it anyway!
Medworth: I’m not saying this because this post is literally going on 8 Points, 9 Seconds, but … Reggie scoring 8 points in 9 seconds is the winner. My favorite part of the entire sequence is that he could have stolen the ball and taken a quick two. But in true, cold-blooded, ice-in-his-veins, Reggie Miller fashion, he takes a dribble to get himself behind the 3-point line for the second 3-pointer. Legendary stuff.
Gibson: To be honest, I can’t hammer down a particular one that stands out. I just remember seeing the FloJos as a young fan and the look drawing my attention. Like every kid in the ’90s when MJ retired (any of the times, take your pick) I was looking for a team just as a fan. Reggie and company won that battle for my heart.
Next: Put Your Money Where You Wear