"Think he was trying to be funny" - Reggie Miller calls out Josh Hart for 'pouring gasoline' over FU chants at MSG
Reggie Miller has called out Josh Hart for the viral incident between the two on air during Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference semis. Miller, who was returning to MSG to call the game with TNT, had irked Knicks fans over their past battles, saying "he owned" the city of New York and the building.
However, his trash talk to the Knicks fans didn't fare well after the Knicks won the contest 121-91. They let Miller hear it with "FU Reggie" chants. Amid that chaos, Hart approached the announcers' desk jokingly to tell Miller what the chants meant.
"I think they're saying f**k you," Hart said.
Miller's microphone caught Hart's comments. The Pacers legend wasn't a fan of how that fuelled the Knicks fans' rage against him while he was on a business trip as one of the announcers.
"Where gasoline was poured on it was when Josh [Hart] came over to me," Miller said on The Mark Jackson Show. "I don't know what was in his head. I don't think there was any malicious, I think he was trying to be funny."
Reggie Miller explained how people thought Josh Hart cussed him out instead of joking around as the mics only caught him saying "FU," which wasn't the case. Miller wasn't a fan of how that escalated things.
"He [Hart] shouldn't have came over and said that in the first place," he further said.
Miller being unimpressed with Hart's actions probably wasn't the sole reason why the Knicks fans were more hyped to go at him. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer's bold comments on the team and their legends were equally responsible or probably more as per the Knicks' faithful.
Reggie Miller taunted Knicks over viral Josh Hart incident later
The Knicks won Game 5 after the tense atmosphere involving Reggie Miller. Josh Hart joined in the fun, too. However, the good side of it didn't last long for the Knicks. The Pacers eventually won the series and advanced to the conference finals, with the Knicks' injury issues piling up.
Miller used the opportunity to hit back at New York's fans online, citing the Hart "FU" incident. The legendary guard took to Instagram, saying:
"When the series CHANGED!! Jalen Brunson you’re a true BALLER, been the best player in these playoffs, but you and your boys can all heal up together on some beautiful beaches in Cancun, please enjoy!!"
Game 7 ended with Josh Hart aggravating his abdominal injury, Jalen Brunson suffering a fractured left hand, and OG Anunoby's hamstring injury worsening. Reggie Miller mocked the Knicks on that but ensured he gave Brunson his flowers while hitting them with the popular "Cancun" joke, used against teams that bow out of the playoffs.