Reggie Miller was in the building on Wednesday and Spike Lee brought him a couple of presents.
The famed director brought framed back pages — including The Post’s “SPIKED” headline — from his legendary 1994 rivalry with Miller.
Three decades ago, the pair engaged in what became a fabled sideshow during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, with Miller fixating on Lee’s court-side taunts while going off for 25 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter of a 93-86 Indiana win.
Miller capped it off by flashing the Garden crowd with a “choke” sign.
The TNT analyst and Lee are leaving their infamous tiff in the past, however, even as the on-court action ramps up.
“That stuff is two-plus decades old,” Spike Lee told The Post’s Stefan Bondy this week. “There’s no rivalry between Reggie and I. It’s all love. Peace and love. Two grown black men who respect each other.”
If the Knicks hadn’t gone on to win the series, things might have had a different outcome.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks in the NBA playoffs
- Knicks’ Game 7 pressure even greater with no guarantee of return
- Inside look at some of Knicks’ other memorable Game 7s
- Knicks-Pacers Game 7 could be decided by who wins this key battle
- Knicks have Game 7 Garden history on their side going into win-or-go-home Pacers matchup
“I got blamed for Game 5. Went to Indiana. John Starks (26 points in Game 6) saved me because I would’ve had to move,” Lee said.
While the relationship between the director and Miller is copacetic these days, Miller seems content to embrace his Knicks villain role as he returns to the building for Game 2 of the second-round series.
“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere,” he said on the TNT pregame show. “I know people are like, “Aren’t you worried about going back to New York City and calling a game?’ No, I’ve owned this city, I’ve owned this building. So why would I be worried about walking on out there? No, I’m looking forward to it, these are two very good up-and-coming teams.”
Miller was playfully taunted by Josh Hart at the end of the game about the Knicks’ fans taunting ‘F–k you, Reggie” to him in the closing moments of the Knicks’ 130-121 Game 2 win over the Pacers.
Game 3 is Friday night at Indiana.