Nothing says "My Childhood Glory Days" quite like playing baseball in the street in Speedway; Sega Genesis; worshipping Vinessa Shaw in Ladybugs; seemingly endless psychological, physical, and emotional abuse; and Reggie Miller.
The latter is featured in ESPN's 30 for 30 series tonight (9 PM EST, immediately following the selection show) in a fantastic documentary, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, directed by Dan Klores (who also directed the fabulous/heartbreaking boxing documentary Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story).
How do I know Winning Time is fantastic, exactly? Well, the media got a special screening of the film February 26 at Conseco Fieldhouse with Reggie and Mr. Klores, and by the media, I mean anyone who paid $12 to get in. But, you know, it was business.
The film covers the epic "Hicks vs. Knicks" showdowns in the 1994 and 1995 NBA playoffs. Oh, the days of the NBA on NBC, and Hannah Storm somehow looking older than she does now (she's not featured in the movie, I'm just saying).
The interviews with the players are great (even Ewing and Starks, who has the film's best line in, "Did this dude just did this?") and it's even nice to see Spike Lee. And yes, you get to see what Rik Smits looks like now.
I could keep going and tell you about how funny the scenes involving Cheryl Miller are, or how I still get goosebumps when I hear Mark Boyle's call after "the witch is dead", or how flamboyant young, LA Reggie is. Just watch it.
(Random Cheryl Miller tangent: She was also at Conseco in February, and got a few cat calls and whistles when she went on stage. Anyone who did that thinks Reggie is sexy, too.)
Reggie Miller, just goofin' around.
Anyways, I had a huge shit-eating grin on my face the entire time. Dan Klores masterfully captured some of the happiest moments of my childhood, and almost, almost, got some tears from the mechanical ghost town that is my soul. It's phenomenal. Enjoy.
Winning Time was AMAZING. Wearing my Reggie Jersey, I too sat with a huge smile on my face while I was transported back to those series'. I got misty eyed a couple times. I was stunned to see that Patrick Ewing has actually managed to look MORE like a gorilla as he's gotten older. Didn't see that coming. I expected his interview segments to be him sitting naked in the grass, telling Reggie stories in sign language. Awesome doc, though. LONG LIVE UNCLE REGGIE!
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