I Love Being the Enemy

by Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller is the NBA's acknowledged king of the trash talkers - and he's one of the few players since Larry Bird with the game to back up his talk. Miller's incendiary performance against the New York Knicks in the 1994 playoffs catapulted him to national attention; his 25 fourth-quarter points in the fifth game brought the Indiana Pacers to the brink of the NBA Finals, but there they stalled, one step short of joining the league's elite. The challenge for the following season remained: Could the Pacers get past New York and take the Eastern Conference crown, en route to a possible NBA championship? I Love Being the Enemy is Reggie Miller's chronicle of the Pacers' rollercoaster 1994-95 season. With the outspoken candor that has made him the target of so much animosity in so many rival arenas, Reggie tells what life is really like behind the scenes in the NBA: what players say to each other in the heat of battle; how to work the referees, and how to know when not to; who in the league is immune to trash talk, and who lets it get under his skin; why and how the playoffs are another world from the game played in the regular season. Reggie tells us why he idolizes Michael Jordan; how he and coach Larry Brown disagree about the role he should be playing on the team; and just how his boldest statements serve to motivate and elevate his teammates' games.

Genres: Sports, Basketball, Nonfiction

282 pages, Hardcover

First published November 13, 1995

About the author

Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is an American retired professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers. Miller was known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in pressure situations and most notably against the New York Knicks, for which he earned the nickname "Knick Killer". When he retired, he held the record for most career 3-point field goals made. He is currently second on the list behind Ray Allen. A five-time All-Star selection, Miller led the league in free throw accuracy five times and won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Miller is widely considered the Pacers' greatest player of all-time. His No. 31 was retired by the team in 2006. Currently, he works as an NBA commentator for TNT. On September 7, 2012, Miller was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The summer of 1994. The Eastern Conference Finals game 7. Pacers vs. Knicks. It’s been a long season to get here for both teams, but this game will be the end of the season for one of them. Spike Lee and Reggie Miller are talking trash, cursing at each other like normal. Spike Lee is a Knicks superfan and Reggie Miller is the Pacers star, who hates the Knicks. Reggie Miller is a big trash talker so you know that he will trash talk as much as he can. A few mistakes in game 7 by the Pacers and their season is over. Just like that. A few plays means the difference between going home and the NBA Finals. The Pacers season was over. The only thing they can do now is start getting ready for next season, which could be better than the last, but the only way you could know how it goes is to read the book.

[Katie Resch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love me a good memoir. And I love Reggie Miller. To my surprise my husband asked if I had read this one yet and I hadn’t. Totally Reggie and I loved every second of it.

[Wyatt Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read “I Love Being The Enemy”. I find it to be a very action packed and entertaining read. Miller wrote the book based on his own life and about the amazing NBA career he had. Miller added many details and describes specific things about his life as an NBA player. Even though the book is nonfiction and about the author’s own life, Miller doesn’t lack adding any other characters in with his book. He introduces many people along that way that end up playing a significant role in his career.
Every single detail in this book makes you not want to stop reading it. Miller writes in a way where it seems like you’re in the same era and life as him at his prime. I recommend this book to any athlete or basketball player out there. I really like that the author added the relationship with Spike Lee who is a huge NBA fan. It shows the intensity, adversity, and trash talking that everyone gets excited for. Miller wrote it in first-person and I’m glad he did because if he didn’t all his experiences wouldn’t of felt so real to me and it wouldn’t make me picture it in my head.
The title itself shows that there is some fiery rivalry hidden in the book. I loved the hustle, strive, and never give up mentality in the book and that made it to where you felt like you were in that stadium in 1995. The end of the book is not exactly the best, but it helps you think “what if?” or “what could have been?” so it leaves room for us readers to think of what the future would be like if things happened differently.

[David Sieffert · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first order of business after being put in charge of sports books at my library was to order this book. Reggie Miller is my hero. Always will be. This book is entertaining, but unless you love basketball you could certainly live your life without reading it. Oh - if you happen to be married to me, I probably made you read it while we were dating.

[Jack Bretzlaff]

I thought the book was good.

[Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I love being the enemy.”

“I always feel mentally stronger than any opponent I step on the same floor with. He might have more talent than I do, but I don’t think anybody is mentally stronger than me. I’ll match wills with anybody.”

“I don’t know how I turn it on and off, but it’s Reggie Time.”

Back in the 1990’s, there were two basketball players that I loved. Like almost everyone, there was Michael Jordan. But then there was Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers. I loved his confidence, his unorthodox shooting style, the way he moved without the basketball, and the streakiness of how he could just go off and make the baskets when they counted. My first basketball jersey was of Reggie Miller. One of my favorite moments in watching NBA was game 1 against the Knicks when Reggie scored those 8 points in 8.9 seconds to win the game for the Pacers so that the Knicks “choked.” He didn’t always make the big plays, but he was always willing to take the shot. And when he made the shot, it was a thing of beauty.

What I really liked about this book was the behind the scenes of the ups and downs of an NBA season. Reggie shows honest emotions of the good times and bad. He is tough on himself when playing bad and gives his teammates the credit when they are winning. He name drops throughout which was great as it brought back memories of those players in the past I watched. Many I remembered and there were several I had forgotten about until they were mentioned. Reggie’s writing style won’t win any awards but at the same time, it sounds so much like Reggie’s voice that I could picture him reading it aloud. My only complaint was there times the book was bogged down in the monotony of games played without much going on. I would preferred more of the back story devoted to Reggie Miller. But the book is all about the 94-95 season. There is a nice memory in here about the Bulls too.

In conclusion, this was a very enjoyable book if you are a fan of Reggie Miller or just basketball from the 1990’s.

[Tom Gase · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is actually closer to two stars than three stars for me, but at the end I decided to give it three because it really took me back to the 94-95 season which I had completely forgotten about. It was the second year of Jordan not being in the league because he had retired to play baseball, and therefore the Houston Rockets won back-to-back titles. In the East, it was the Indiana Pacers who were making a run at getting to the Finals, thanks to Reggie Miller, who wrote this book. The book is basically a journal and not written well at all. I used to kind of like Reggie Miller at least a little, but after reading this I actually DON'T like him anymore. Just a little full of himself and I just don't get talking trash in sports. I just don't get it. In this book he makes up his own rules for when it's okay to talk trash and when it's not. I love the fact that Miller tries to talk trash in this book to Michael Jordan at one point and Jordan just goes off on him by scoring a lot and winning the game. Look, let's face it, Miller was a pretty damn good shooter in his career, but most people just remember him because of his night shooting AND Spike Lee in the 1994 NY series. I don't recommend this book to anyone except Indiana Pacer fans. I got it for a buck at the book fair and I guess it was worth that, not much more.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great at describing the grind of an NBA season. The whole book is Reggie's daily diary entries, which describe a new story about what he went through that day. These are his accounts of the ups ands down of a basketball season and the challenges his team faced. The real reason I love this book is because of how it ends; he takes you through so many challenges, and you see the team grown and get so close to success... but in the end theres only one ultimate winner, and all the other teams lose. After they get knocked out, its such a letdown, everyone saying "see ya next year." It really gives a good insight into the emotions of players on NBA teams.

My only complaints are that this book would be confusing to those people that don't know basketball, and sometimes Reggie says things like "sorry I forgot to write an entry for five days," or he simply just doesn't say much for one day, or just half heartedly says something. Other than that, great book.

[Matt Woolverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with Bird, Jordan, Kobe and KG Reggie Miller is known as one of the NBAs most historic trash talkers. I first chose to read this book due to my interest in basketball and the Pacers-Knicks rivalry. However, After about twenty pages you learn more about Reggie and how as a kid his older sister would beat him on the court, and how whenever he talked trash he would act innocent. I also loved reading about his encounters with both Spike Lee and John Starks. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of sports.

[Chriscoins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! As a 14 year old kid who loves the game of basketball, I absolutely admire Reggie Miller's aggressiveness and emotion towards fans and players. The all-time best encounter that involved Reggie is undoubtedly the time where he squared off against Spike Lee and the New York Knicks. Him and Spike went at it as Reggie was signaling a choking sign and then grabs his crotch. Both Spike Lee and Reggie Miller are famous in their own right. I would recommend this book to almost everybody, and i rate it with five stars.

[T M Jonsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of my youth. Reliving a season of Pacers basketball through the eyes of my idol, Reggie Miller.

Absolutely awesome!

[Sam Snideman · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first sports books I read, and it was about my hero (as a teenager). One could say that Reggie Miller's personality/antics as a basketball player helped shape how I played all sports, and the attitude that I carry with me on to the court/field.

[Tarin Arneson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it was super good. I liked it because I am interested in this stuff and I really like basketball and Reggie Miller. This book is highly recommend to anyone who likes or is interested in basketball or Reggie Miller.

[Brian Laesch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember reading this book but I'll give it 3 stars.

[Heilit · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband begged me to read this and I actually ended up enjoying it a lot! I love basketball and it was really interesting reading an NBA all-stars personal diary on a major season.

[Lilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really gives you a clear understanding of who Reggie Miller is.

[Dane Mamula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personal journal during one of the best NBA seasons of all-time. Such a simple concept, yet it hasn't been done better than here. I became a Reggie fan overnight.