Team: Indiana Pacers
Sport: NBA Basketball
Background: The Indiana Pacers are
a National Basketball Association team based in Indianapolis,
Indiana.
Founded: 1967, as a member of the
American Basketball Association
Home Arena: Conseco Fieldhouse
Uniform colors: Navy blue and Yellow
Logo design: A blue letter "P"
with a yellow basketball in it.
ABA Championships: 1970, 1972, 1973
Franchise history:
The Indiana Pacers joined the NBA for the
1976-77 season as one of four former American Basketball
Association franchises to cross over when the two
leagues merged. The three-time ABA champions struggled
from the beginning in the NBA, posting only 1 winning
season in their first 13 NBA campaigns. After a decade
and a half of failure, the team finally began to play
.500 ball in the early 1990s. By mid-decade, the Pacers
had become one of the Eastern Conference's top clubs.
In 1998, behind new coach - and Indiana native - Larry
Bird, the Pacers won 58 games and reached the Eastern
Conference Finals.
When the Pacers began play in the ABA's inaugural
1967-68 season, they had already been preceded by
two Indianapolis NBA teams. In 1948-49 the Indianapolis
Jets had compiled an 18-42 record in their only year
of existence. The next year the Indianapolis Olympians
began play, winning the NBA's Western Division with
a 39-25 record. The Olympians folded in 1953 after
four seasons.
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The state of Indiana has long been a bastion of basketball
fandom. There is great support for high school teams
and for the Indiana University Hoosiers, especially
after their success in the 1970s and 1980s under Coach
Bob Knight. Naturally, professional leagues coveted
the Indiana market. So when eight businessmen invested
a few thousand dollars apiece, the Indiana Pacers
franchise began in 1967 as a charter member of the
ABA.
Not to be forgotten:
• Dale
Davis
• Mark
Jackson |
• Chris
Mullin
• Jalen
Rose |
• Detlef
Schrempf
• Rik
Smits |
Retired Numbers:
| • 30
George McGinnis |
• 34
Mel Daniels |
• 35
Roger Brown |
Current Stars:
• Ron
Artest
|
• Rick
Carlisle (coach) |
• Reggie
Miller |
| • Fred
Jones (Winner of Slam Dunk Competition, 2004) |
• Jermaine
O'Neal |
Basketball Hall of Famers:
Larry Bird
(former coach and current President of Basketball
Operations; enshrined as player with the Boston Celtics)
Larry Brown
Dr. Jack Ramsay
Isiah Thomas (former coach; enshrined as player with
the Indiana Pacers)
External links:
Indiana Pacers official web site (http://www.nba.com/pacers/)
Official Indiana Pacers Summer Pro League web site
(http://www.summerproleague.com/)
