Andre Miller tumbled onto the Rose Garden floor, grimacing as he rolled over on his back and cupped his hands around his ankle.
Moments later, the Trail Blazers' starting point guard limped off the court and plopped down in the middle of the team's bench, prompting athletic trainer Jay Jensen to meander over and inquire about his health.
"But he didn't want to hear it," Jensen says, recalling their conversation during a game against the San Antonio Spurs earlier this month. "I wanted to get him to walk down the hall and get him back (to my office) and see what was going on. But he wouldn't have it. He said, 'I'm fine. Don't mess with me.'"
Welcome inside the mind of the NBA's Iron Man. Miller enters tonight's matchup against the Golden State Warriors having played in 543 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NBA. Thanks to a bulldog-like tenacity, conservative diet and countless naps -- yes, naps -- the 11-year veteran has managed to miss just three games during his NBA career.
"He's a warrior," 16-year veteran Juwan Howard said. "He's a silent assassin. He doesn't say much, but I tell you one thing, you can count on him. He's going to have your back, he's going to compete and he's going to play. He's a tough competitor."
Last season, 445 players played in at least one NBA game. Only 30 of them played in all 82 regular-season games and even fewer -- 10 -- started all 82. Miller was one of them. And while he isn't likely to eclipse the NBA's all-time record -- Oregon native A.C. Green holds a seemingly unbreakable mark of 1,192 consecutive games played -- Miller is the clear-cut active leader.
Detroit's Tayshaun Prince had his streak of 497 consecutive games played end this month because of a lower back strain, which leaves Derek Fisher (344)
of the Los Angeles Lakers and Sam Dalembert (283) of the Philadelphia 76ers as the next-closest players on the active list. The Elias Sports Bureau could not detail where Miller ranks on the all-time list because it does not keep a complete total.
So how has Miller done it?
"Some of it is luck, but a lot of it is heart," Jensen said.
Miller is reserved and quiet off the court, but he features a relentless, play-at-all-costs demeanor on the court. He developed a passion for basketball in high school while growing up in Compton, Calif., and his thirst for competition and love for the sport only increased in college at the University of Utah.
Playing for the demanding Rick Majerus, Miller says he learned discipline and structure at Utah, and it has stuck with him over the years. Majerus was not one to allow players to use minor bumps and bruises as an excuse to sit out, and he pushed players to compete through injuries.
As Miller evolved from a burgeoning young player into one of the NBA's more respected point guards, this has become his identity. Miller missed one game with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2002-03 season because of a right shoulder contusion and he missed two games one season later, with the Los Angeles Clippers, because of a high ankle sprain.
The only other time he's missed in his career came in 2006, when he was traded from Denver to Philadelphia. Weather issues delayed his NBA-required physical during the transaction, forcing him to miss two games. But because the trade wasn't official during that break, Miller was not credited with missing games.
"He has a bulldog mentality on the court," Blazers All-Star Brandon Roy said. "He's one of those self-motivators. He doesn't need anybody screaming, 'Come on Andre.' He's one of those dudes that gets himself ready each day. And that's what I like about him. He's a professional. He comes to work everyday and you don't have to kiss his butt or hype him up to get him going. He's ready every day."
Miller insists there are no secrets to his durability and he does not dwell on his streak. More than anything, the accomplishment is rooted in the simple fact that he likes to play. But a series of things has aided the streak.......................................
