Most any Hoosier can tell you that basketball in this state is serious business, and at the pro team level, the pride of Indianapolis and all of Indiana is staked on the Indiana Pacers. How much do you know about your home team? If you're a newbie, a quick study of this Pacers primer will have you talking about your Indianapolis home team like a seasoned fan in no time. Even die-hard Pacers fans are likely to find an interesting fact or two.
How the Pacers Got Their Name
The Pacers originated in 1967 as a franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA). But where does the name “Pacers” come from? The name was decided on by the original investors, according to Indianapolis attorney Richard D. Tinkham, who was one of those investors. The name alludes to the pace cars used in the Indianapolis 500, one of the state’s main claims to sporting fame, as well as the state’s rich history with harness racing pacers (investor Chuck Barnes was a horse racing enthusiast).
A matter of greater debate was whether the team should be called the Indiana Pacers or the Indianapolis Pacers. Because one of the initial proposals was to have the Indianapolis-based team actually play throughout the state, the broader team name was chosen.
Where the Pacers Play
The Pacers’ home games are played in Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis at 125 Pennsylvania Street (zip code 46204).
Where They Fit in the Structure of the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) consists of 29 teams divided into two conferences: Eastern and Western. Each conference is further divided into three divisions: The Eastern Conference consists of the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast divisions; the Western Conference consists of the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest divisions. The Pacers are in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The other teams in this division are the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pacers became part of the NBA in 1976, as the result of a merger agreement between the ABA and the NBA.
The 2008-2009 Team Roster
So who’s on this season’s team? In alphabetical order, following is a list of players:
- Maceo Baston, #9, a 6’10” forward from Michigan
- Marquis Daniels, #6, a 6’6” guard from Auburn
- Travis Diener, #12, a 6’1” guard from Marquette
- Mike Dunleavy, #17, a 6’9” forward-guard from Duke
- T. J. Ford, #5, a 6’0” guard from Texas
- Jeff Foster, #10, a 6’11” center from Texas State
- Stephen Graham, #23, a 6”6” forward from Oklahoma State
- Danny Granger, #33, a 6’8” forward-guard from New Mexico
- Roy Hibbert, #55, a 7’2” center from Georgetown
- Jarrett Jack, #1, a 6’3” guard from Georgia Tech
- Josh McRoberts, #32, a 6’10” forward from Duke
- Troy Murphy, #3, a 6’11” forward-center from Notre Dame
- Rasho Nesterovic, #8, a 7’0” center from Slovenia
- Brandon Rush, #25, a 6’6” guard from Kansas
- Jamaal Tinsley, #11, a 6’3” guard from Iowa State
The Pacers’ Head Coach is Jim O’Brien. Assistant coaches are Dick Harter, Lester Conner, Dan Burke, Frank Vogel, and Jay DeFruscio
Memorable Moments: Championship Games
The Pacers have yet to win an NBA championship. The closest they’ve come was in 2000, when they lost the championship series to the L.A. Lakers, 4 to 2. The ABA was a different story. In the 1970s, the Pacers were victorious three times in a span of four years: They defeated the L.A. Stars 4-2 in 1970, they beat the New York Nets 4-2 in 1972, and they bested Kentucky in 1973 for their third and final championship.
Memorable Players: Retired Numbers
To date, five players’ numbers have been retired. The most recent to be honored was Reggie Miller, #31. Reggie’s number was retired on March 30, 2006, during a halftime ceremony at Conseco Fieldhouse during a game between the Pacers and the Phoenix Suns. Reggie gave the Pacers 18 years, leading the team from obscurity to NBA stardom. He ranks 12th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and was a five-time NBA All-Star.
Prior to Reggie, four players received the same honor:
- Roger Brown, #35 A 6’5” forward, “Rajah” was the original Pacer — the first player to sign with the fledgling ABA franchise. He played eight seasons with the Pacers. He ranks fourth among all-time leading scorers, logging a career-high 53 points on May 19, 1970, the third highest single-game total in the Pacers’ ABA history.
- George McGinnis, #30 A 6’8” forward, McGinnis played seven seasons with the Pacers, from 1971-75 and 1979-82. The fifth leading scorer in Pacers history, he holds the records for the most points scored (58) and the most rebounds (37) in a single ABA game. He also holds the records for the most points (2,353) and the most field goals (873) scored in an ABA season (1974-75).
- Mel Daniels, #34 A 6’9” center, Daniels was the first to win the ABA’s Rookie of the Year award in 1968, and was named the ABA’s Most Valuable Player in 1969 and 1971. He played six seasons with the Pacers, averaging 19.4 points and 16 rebounds per game. He holds the Pacers’ ABA record for rebounds in a single season, snaring 1,475 in 1970-71.
- Bob “Slick” Leonard, #529 Head coach of the Pacers from 1968 to 1980, he is the winningest coach in the franchise’s history. With 529 wins (thus the number he retired with) and 456 losses, his winning percentage was .537.
