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 past two seasons out of the league 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.
"Danny and Reggie have been pretty much in communication periodically over the last few weeks or so," Twiss said Friday. "Danny informed me that (Miller) will not be coming back or out of retirement."
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."
Last season, Miller was a television analyst for NBA and WNBA games on the TNT network. He has run a movie production company called Boom Baby Productions since retiring. He's also co-hosted "Live with Regis and Kelly."
"Everything he had to say was in that story," a TNT spokesman said.
On Tuesday, at a charity bowling event in Indianapolis, Miller said, "I don't even know what I'm going to do" about coming out of retirement.
The Pacers retired Miller's No. 31 after a career in which he scored 25,279 points, 13th most in NBA history.
The Celtics viewed Miller as a substitute who could come off the bench to provide offense. They were 24-58 last season and missed the playoffs but are considered serious contenders in the NBA East.
The Celtics have added forward Scot Pollard and guard Eddie House since obtaining Garnett but still lack depth. Their two starters besides Garnett, Allen and Pierce are point guard Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins, both young and unproven.
HEAT SIGN JOHNSON: Former Florida State forward Alexander Johnson signed with the Miami Heat on Friday after playing last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. Johnson appeared in 59 games last season as a rookie with the Grizzlies, averaging 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds.
Johnson was drafted in the second round in 2006 by Indiana and was later traded to Portland, then Memphis. Johnson, who played three seasons for the Seminoles, will compete for a backup power forward spot behind Udonis Haslem.
MAGIC SIGN FOYLE: The Orlando Magic signed free agent center Adonal Foyle on Friday, bringing in a shot blocker to join star Dwight Howard in the front court. The 6-foot-10 Foyle was available after he and the Golden State Warriors agreed on a buyout earlier this month.