NBA Legend Fired Up WWE's Grayson Waller Ahead Of Match Against Edge

Reggie Miller antagonized New York Knicks fans like no other hooper in the 90s, sinking clutch shots aplenty to routinely silence crowds at Madison Square Garden. Miller's heroics against the New York-based franchise even earned him the moniker of "The Knick Killer," most notably for scoring 9 points in 8.9 seconds against the Knicks in the 1995 NBA Playoffs. 

When Grayson Waller made his MSG debut against WWE Hall of Famer Edge on a recent episode of "WWE SmackDown," he admittedly watched a bunch of highlights of Miller toying with Knicks fans, so as to channel his inner Miller and become a modern-day New York nemesis. 

"I'm from Australia but I understand the venue [MSG] in itself," Waller told "MMA Hour" recently. "I found out the day before that this [myself vs. Edge] was a match that could be happening. This was my first match back from injury, so I was really stressing. I sat in my hotel room and watched Reggie Miller in MSG highlights — that kinda fired me up. Was it 9 points in 8.9 seconds or something? I was watching that. I also watched Conor [McGregor], Eddie Alvarez, and all the background of that in that venue. That completely got me ready. 

"I had 24 hours, and I was super nervous, but once I started watching these people who performed in that venue and lived up to expectations, I felt 100 percent ready to go."

Waller revealed he did McGregor's signature "hands behind the back" gesture before the match to pay homage to the MMA fighter.

"I've always been a huge Conor fan because he is who he is," Waller said. "I think Conor's a professional wrestler. Though he's not in a professional wrestling ring, everything about him is a professional wrestler — the way he moves, builds up his fights, he's a professional wrestler. He even does the Vince [McMahon] walk and everything."