TNT commentator Reggie Miller has found himself at the center of a controversy following Game 2 of the first-round series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets. Miller, who has been a part of the TNT crew alongside Kevin Harlan for several years, has been accused of biased commentary by fans and fellow analysts alike. During the Lakers’ tough 99-101 loss against the Nuggets, many noticed that Miller seemed to favor the Nuggets and defending MVP Nikola Jokić. Kendrick Perkins, a former NBA player and current ESPN analyst, even took to social media to call out Miller for his alleged bias. During the third quarter of the contest, Perkins subtly questioned whether Miller was rooting for the Nuggets to mount a comeback. Perkins sarcastically asked, “So Reggie is rooting for the Nuggets to come back?” But Perkins was not the only one to shed light on Miller’s biased commentary. Early in the game, Miller was criticized for questioning the Lakers’ decision to start D’Angelo Russell. According to Miller, Lakers fans wanted Russell to come off the bench. However, this claim was met with skepticism, as there seemed to be no evidence to support it. In fact, after a poor performance in Game 1, many fans were eager to see Russell step up and play more minutes. Different fans had different theories as to why Miller could’ve been partial while covering the game. Some speculated that Miller is still upset at the Lakers for preventing him from winning the 2000 NBA Finals. The Lakers defeated Miller’s Indiana Pacers in six games that year, and some fans believe that Miller has held a grudge against the team ever since. Despite the constant controversial takes, it’s worth noting that Miller also had plenty of praise for LeBron James throughout the game. LBJ had numerous jaw-dropping plays on both ends of the floor, and Miller couldn’t help but gush over each one of those plays. He constantly reminded fans of LBJ’s age and the fact that he was in the 21st year of his illustrious NBA career. It remains to be seen how Miller will respond to the accusations of bias. The Denver Nuggets fans wouldn’t mind Miller continuing to criticize the Lakers in Games 3 and 4, especially since the series is now shifting to Los Angeles and the Nuggets will be without the support of their home crowd.
Reggie Miller’s Commentary Bias Stirs Controversy in Lakers-Nuggets Series
