Reggie Miller is no stranger to playoff run-ins with acclaimed director and Knicks superfan Spike Lee. Miller famously gave Lee the “choke” sign after torching the Knicks in a postseason game at Madison Square Garden, so it was no surprise that the Hall of Famer took advantage of the opportunity to call Lee out again on Wednesday night.
In the dying minutes of Game 5, with the end result all but assured, Lee left his usual court side seat and headed for the tunnel with just over three minutes left. Miller, who was the analyst on the TNT broadcast, jumped at the chance to draw attention to Lee’s exit.
“That’s a fair-weather fan right there,” Miller said as cameras showed Lee walking out. “If he wants to be the No. 1 supporter of the Knicks, you’ve got to stay there and take it like the guys on the floor.”
Lee did return to his seat shortly afterward, but Miller’s dagger landed nonetheless, as the former Pacer took full advantage of the bad optics for Lee’s Knicks loyalty.
The incident comes just one day after the 27th anniversary of Miller’s choke-sign taunt, which came after Miller hit five three-pointers in the fourth quarter during a crucial Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Lee and the Knicks got the last laugh that year, though, as New York would go on to win the series before losing to the Rockets in the NBA Finals.
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