I'm not necessarily a Reggie Miller fan or an NBA fan for the matter. Last night I happend to turn on the TV in time to see the last 1.5 minutes of the game (this is the only NBA I've watched all year). I did think it was neat to see the way everyone encouraged and honored Reggie as I think he was one of the good-guys in the league. I know the cameras couldn't catch everything but they did catch one of the officials giving Reggie a hug after the game and I thought that to be about the biggest show of respect. Did anyone else get to see it and what did you think?

It was Bennett Salvatore, #15.

Kudos for him for doing so. He's a senior ref, in the league for 22 years. That's 4 years before Reggie came aboard. I commend the official as a person for paying respects to one of the NBA's greats.

I haven't watched the NBA in a while, but I did catch the last few minutes of this game. Watching the Pistons and especially Larry Brown step out on the court during the timeout and give Reggie Miller an uninterrupted ovation was really nice. And the hug from Salvatore was really nice as well.

Something tells me that Reggie 30 years from now will be equally revered as a broadcaster.

This is just a game. The official did exactly what was appropriate. They were paying a tribute to a player and this official after the game gave Reggie a hug. The game was over right after a tribute. Even Larry Brown called a timeout so that his players and fans could continue the tribute. The Pistons were not in their bench area for the timeout and many players came off the bench all together. Were you upset by the actions of the Pistons because they did not follow the letter of the rules?

Peace

I agree with Rut. These two guys basically came up together through the league. It wasn't adulation, it was a tribute and a good-bye; which was what the moment was for.

This is different from the HS refs in Ohio who got Labron's autograph on the court after they worked his game. This just seems appropriate to the moment, to the occasion, and to the people involved.

I would be willing to bet there were many other officials who would have liked to be Bennett Salvatore giving Reggie a hug last night. It wasn't about cheating, it wasn't about preferential treatment or anything like that. It was saluting someone who was an honest competitor that stuck with the partner he came with for 18 years and did it without physical dominance or the normal game/shot. He will always be able to say he officiated Reggie's last game and he gave him a hug when it was over. That is a milestone to be proud of.

I'm getting a little sentimental just reading this post. That hug was representation of officials worldwide paying respects to Reggie.