Miller not returning to NBA

Reggie Miller is staying retired, passing on a chance to turn the Big Three of the Boston Celtics into the Fabulous Four.

Miller told the Celtics his decision after having several conversations with Danny Ainge, Boston's executive director of basketball operations, during the past two weeks, team spokesman Jeff Twiss said.

The NBA's career leader in 3-pointers turned 42 on Friday and has spent the last two seasons out of the NBA after retiring from an 18-year pro career, entirely with the Indiana Pacers. He never won an NBA championship, and the overhauled Celtics are considered contenders.

"If that's his decision, then I think we certainly respect his decision and appreciate his consideration of even attempting to come back," Twiss said.

Ainge's discussions with Miller surfaced after the Celtics obtained 2004 NBA MVP Kevin Garnett from Minnesota on July 31. They already had traded for shooting guard Ray Allen, a seven-time all-star, on the day of the NBA draft. Those two join Paul Pierce, who has spent all nine of his NBA seasons with Boston, to make a formidable threesome in the Eastern Conference, which was mediocre last season.

Miller told the Indianapolis Star, in a story published Friday, that he would not return to the NBA with any team.

"Physically, I know I could have done it," he told the newspaper. "But mentally, when you do something like this, you've either got to be all in or all out. And I've decided I'm all out."