Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson remembered a wild poker night that ended up in a fight: "It never made the press"
NBA players are fierce competitors on the court, and their intensity carries over to casual games as well. Though often things are well in control, there are other times when emotions get the better of these professional athletes. This occurred with the Indiana Pacers team when Larry Bird was their head coach.
The situation became so severe that a guest sustained injuries severe enough to warrant police intervention during the poker night. Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller quickly hightailed the room, with potential repercussions awaiting everyone involved. The two veterans, when asked, had an innocent stance in front of their head coach.
"We were at the training camp at Disney Institute in Orlando, and we were playing cards late at night. Something broke off in the middle of the card game with somebody that was a guest. Somebody ended up getting hurt - police were called," Jackson admitted on his podcast. "Next day Larry Bird called Reggie and I in the office, he's like, 'I don't know if you know, there was a card game in Dale Davis' room last night.' Reggie and I are like, 'What?! Are you serious?'"
Reggie added to his teammate's story
Recognizing the need to support his teammate's account, Miller admitted to having fabricated false details to ensure the real story of the particular poker incident never surfaced publicly.
"'You want us to talk to Dale. I mean, this is unacceptable that something like this would go on," Miller added. "I was like, 'Coach, we'll handle it.' Then we walk out of the office and we're like, 'I told you they were going to find out.' It never made the press."
Bird did not make a big deal about finding the team, demonstrating that he was an ideal coach for the situation. As a former player, he understood that athletes enjoy relaxing and gambling while in camp to get away from basketball.
Pacers players had each other's back
Despite eventually becoming aware of 'Action' and Reggie's presence during the incident, Head Coach Bird commended their unwavering loyalty in refusing to rat out their teammates. Moreover, Jackson emphasized that the entire Pacers team was a close-knit group, supporting one another, both on and off the court.
That 'brotherhood' helped the Pacers make it to the Eastern Conference Finals three years in a row (from 1997 to 2000) and even register their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals in 2000 against the LA Lakers. It's safe to say that when you've got that kind of chemistry and loyalty, it can take a team pretty far in the league.
