Miller never shied away from the moment, a lot like Thompson, who has been one of the most clutch players of his own generation.
DALLAS — Mychel Thompson was a four-year player at Pepperdine who started 114 games from 2007-11. Early in his college career, the Waves tried recruiting his younger brother.
Klay, the Thompson family’s middle child, took an official visit to campus in Malibu, Calif. In an attempt to get him to commit, Pepperdine called in one of the city’s famous residents: Reggie Miller.
Miller’s highlights were essential in Thompson’s basketball education. Thompson admired Miller’s panache in important moments as much as his outside shooting ability.
The highlight of Thompson’s visit was a ping-pong match against Miller.
“He skunked me 7-0,” Thompson told The Athletic. “To see that competitive side of him — I was 17 — it was really cool.”
On Wednesday, Thompson passed Miller on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list. Thompson’s 2,562 3-point makes are the fifth-most in league history. Steph Curry, Thompson’s former Warriors teammate, sits atop that list. James Harden, Ray Allen and Damian Lillard rank second, third and fourth, respectively.
The 3-pointer that moved Thompson ahead of Miller came at the 8:49 mark of the fourth quarter. The Dallas Mavericks, who lost Luka Dončić to a left calf strain in the first half, sliced the Timberwolves’ 28-point lead down to two points but were unable to complete the comeback.
Thompson scored 12 points in the 105-99 loss. All of his baskets were 3s.
Passing Miller was so significant, Thompson hung onto the Christmas Day game ball. He also said he planned to send Miller his signed jersey.
Thompson wore No. 11 with the Warriors. After a sign-and-trade sent him from California to Texas last summer, Thompson switched to No. 31 in tribute, the same number Miller wore in his 18 seasons with the Indiana Pacers.
“I loved Reggie Miller growing up,” Thompson said. “I watched his film and game-winners my whole life. He’s always inspired me to shoot the ball and be a killer. It’s just surreal. Talk about times I prayed for. I prayed for times like that.”
GO DEEPER
Klay Thompson passes Reggie Miller for fifth place on all-time 3s made list
Miller’s game-winner against the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals is one of the highlights burned into Thompson’s memory. Miller famously collided with Michael Jordan, which gave him the necessary space to rise up for the shot that leveled the series at two games apiece.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd experienced multiple Miller clutch moments first-hand. In Kidd’s Phoenix Suns tenure, Miller made a game-winning jumper from the right baseline over him.
Later, when Kidd was with the New Jersey Nets, Miller banked in a 39-foot fadeway at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Video evidence showed the ball was still in Miller’s hand when time expired. Officials counted it anyway.
“If we had instant replay that game, it would have been over,” Kidd lamented on Wednesday.
Over the past two weeks, Thompson has shown signs of looking comfortable in his new surroundings. He scored a season-high 29 points in Dallas’ Dec. 15 win against Golden State. Thompson followed that up with a 22-point game two nights later against the LA Clippers.
With Dončić expected to miss multiple games with the calf injury, the Mavericks will be even more dependent on Thompson’s scoring. He scored his final basket of Wednesday’s game with 1:05 remaining — a quick-trigger 3 from straight on got the Timberwolves’ lead down to three points.
Kyrie Irving had a go-ahead opportunity in the final minute, but he missed.
Irving said he congratulated Thompson in the locker room afterward for rising in the 3-point record books.
“And also told him he should have been fifth a long time ago,” Irving said.
A torn ACL and a torn Achilles cost Thompson two of his prime years. The 34-year-old still loves to compete. He lingered on the court for nearly 15 minutes after Dallas beat Golden State in San Francisco earlier this month.
As a kid, Miller’s will to win resonated with Thompson. Miller never shied away from the moment, a lot like Thompson, who has been one of the most clutch players of his own generation.
“That is the most inspiring thing to see as a shooter,” Thompson said. “He had no fear, whether he made or missed the shot. He was going to die by it.”
(Photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)
