<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (indystar)</div><div class='quotemain'>IndyStar.com Sports Pacers NBA </p><div class="date">August 11, 2007</div> <div class="storyhead">Midlife crisis?</div> <div class="deck">Ex-NBA star advised not to accept Celtics' offer and make a comeback at age 42</div><div class="deck"><div class="byline">By Mark Montieth</div> <div class="credit"> mark.montieth@indystar.com</div><div class="credit"></div><div class="credit"><div class="bodytext">Somewhere in Malibu, Reggie Miller apparently is mulling the idea of returning from a two-year retirement.</div> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="210" align="left"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" height="5"></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <div class="padding"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>,</td> </tr> <tr> <td>, <div class="caption">Comeback? "It's something he's carefully considering. It might come down to whether he really believes Boston has a chance to go far," said former coach Rick Carlisle about Reggie Miller, shown acknowledging the crowd March 30, 2006, when his number was retired. - SAM RICHE / The Star</div></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> </td> <td width="10"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <div class="bodytext">If he decides to try it, he'll be receiving a visitor sometime soon.</div><div class="bodytext">"If he comes back I'd go to Southern California and beat his face in," Pacers personnel director Mel Daniels said Friday.</div><div class="bodytext">Daniels, a close friend of Miller's, has spoken with the 18-year Pacers veteran. And while he respects Miller's privacy, he is strongly advising Miller not to accept Boston's offer to attempt a comeback at age 42.</div><div class="bodytext">"I think he's having a midlife crisis," said Daniels, whose comeback attempt with New Jersey at age 32 following a one-year layoff ended after 11 games.</div><div class="bodytext">"It's exciting to think about and you're in the newspapers again, but when it comes right down to it there ain't nothing happening."</div><div class="bodytext">Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh, who drafted Miller and signed him to all of his contracts with the franchise, has not spoken with Miller. He takes that as a clue that he's not too serious about playing again.</div><div class="bodytext">"I would think if he was going to come back, he would call us and let us know," Walsh said. "He hasn't talked to anyone here."</div><div class="bodytext">Sportsline.com reported that Miller has talked with his former coach, Rick Carlisle.</div><div class="bodytext">"It's something he's carefully considering," Carlisle told the Web site. "It might come down to whether he really believes Boston has a chance to go far."</div><div class="bodytext">Walsh has seen the difficulty some athletes have in staying retired, and isn't surprised Miller might be experiencing some second thoughts.</div><div class="bodytext">"I remember talking to (former ABA and NBA star) Dan Issel," Walsh said. "He said he'd never go to another game or touch another ball. I said, 'You'll be back next year begging to come back.' And he was.</div><div class="bodytext">"They miss it. It becomes part of who you are. And your body takes awhile to withdraw from it."</div><div class="bodytext">It also takes awhile for a pro athlete's body to go back to competing again, as Daniels knows.</div><div class="bodytext">"Once you tell your body it's over with, you're done," he said. "You can tell yourself that basketball is easy, but the preparation to play basketball, that's tough."</div> <div class="trailer">Call Star reporter Mark Montieth at (317) 444-6406.</div></div></div> </p> </p> </div></p> </p> Link</p>
Watching Reggie Miller play for the Celtics would be like watching Joe Montana play for the Chiefs. It just wouldn't feel right.
