Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers: A Legacy of Basketball Ingenuity and Struggle

Founding and Early Years

The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1967 as an original member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), they became part of the NBA in 1976. The Pacers have had their share of ups and downs, with moments of brilliance and periods of struggle.

Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, and George McGinnis are just a few of the Hall of Fame players who graced the Pacers’ roster during their early years. Billy Knight and Don Buse represented Indiana in the NBA All-Star Game during the first 13 years of the team’s existence, but this was one of the few bright spots as the team struggled with continuity.

Struggles and Trades

The Pacers traded away Knight and Buse before the 1977–78 season and made several more trades that resulted in significant losses. They acquired Adrian Dantley but lost him quickly, and later traded for George McGinnis who contributed little to the team. The Pacers also traded a draft pick to the Blazers for Tom Owens, which led to missing out on Michael Jordan.

Despite these challenges, the Pacers drafted Clark Kellogg in 1982 and had some success with Jack Ramsay as coach, but struggled with inconsistency. They made several playoff appearances under various coaches, including Bob Hill, who led the team to their third playoff appearance in 1990.

Reggie Miller’s Era

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Pacers drafted Reggie Miller, who became a key player on the team. The team experienced some success during this period, making the playoffs four times and earning several first-round exits. They also developed players like Chuck Person and Detlef Schrempf, who would go on to have successful careers in the NBA.

Chuck Person and Micheal Williams were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Pooh Richardson and Sam Mitchell. Detlef Schrempf became a starter at small forward and was elected to his first All-Star game during the 1992-93 season. Reggie Miller led the team in scoring and they returned to the playoffs with a 41-41 record, losing to the New York Knicks in the first round.

Golden Years

The Pacers’ golden years came under Larry Brown’s coaching tenure from 1993 to 2000. In the 1993–94 season, they won their last eight games of the season to finish with an NBA-high 47 wins. They defeated the Orlando Magic in a sweep and the Atlanta Hawks in the Conference semifinals before losing to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Reggie Miller scored 25 points including five 3-point field goals to lead the Pacers to a come-from-behind victory over the Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers won their first Central Division title and first 50+ win season since the ABA days, with a 52-30 record in 1994-95.

Post-Brown Era

The team duplicated their 52-30 record in 1995-96 but Reggie Miller’s injury ended their season against the Chicago Bulls. In 1996-97, the Pacers finished 39-43 and missed the playoffs due to injuries and coach Larry Brown stepping down.

Larry Bird was hired as head coach for the 1997-98 season, leading the team to a 19-game improvement over the previous season and tying the franchise record with a 58-24 record. The team breezed past the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in the playoffs before falling to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Malice at the Palace

In the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, the Pacers won the Central Division with a 33-17 record and swept the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers before losing to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The team’s 2000 NBA Finals appearance was marred by the infamous ‘Malice at the Palace’ incident on November 19, 2004.

Nine players were suspended after a violent altercation in the stands, with Artest receiving the longest penalty, the remainder of the season. The Pacers and Pistons split their four regular-season meetings that year.

Modern Era

The Pacers’ modern era began under Rick Carlisle’s coaching tenure from 2003 to 2007. In 2008, Larry Bird took over basketball operations duties after Donnie Walsh left as CEO. The team traded Jermaine O’Neal and signed Roy Hibbert in 2009, which would become a turning point for the team.

Jermaine O’Neal’s rise to stardom was followed by Ron Artest’s rise to stardom, who made All-Star teams and named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. The Pacers won their franchise record 61-21 season that year.

Recent Challenges

The Pacers had a terrible 2006-07 season, finishing with an 11-game losing streak and injuries to key players, leading to their worst season in team history. Coach Rick Carlisle was fired in April 2007 due to the team’s first losing record in ten seasons.

Jim O’Brien took over as coach but failed to take the team back to the playoffs in his tenure. The Pacers showed growth in the 2007-08 season, especially towards the end, with improvements from forwards Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy. Injuries and off-court distractions hindered the team’s progress, despite a strong finish to the season.

Recent Successes

The Pacers selected Paul George with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. They also drafted Lance Stephenson and Ryan Reid, and signed George and Stephenson before training camp. The team made several trades during the summer, including acquiring Darren Collison and James Posey.

In the 2010-11 season, the Pacers had a strong start but lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. In the 2011-12 season, they finished with a 42-24 record and won their first playoff series since 2005. They defeated the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, taking the series 3-2.

Recent Roster Changes

The team finished with a 49–32 record in the 2012-13 season and beat the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. However, they lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 22, 2013. The Pacers bounced back to win Games 2 and 4 but ultimately lost Game 6.

Larry Bird returned as president of basketball operations after a year away. The team made strengthening their bench a priority during the 2013 off-season, acquiring point guard C. J. Watson, forwards Chris Copeland and Luis Scola, and selecting Solomon Hill with the 23rd overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft.

Recent Successes Continued

The Pacers started strong but collapsed after the All-Star Break, finishing with a 56–26 record. They defeated Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards in the playoffs, then lost to Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the 2014-2017 era, Paul George suffered a severe leg injury in August 2014. He returned in April 2015 and played for the Pacers until the end of the season. The team missed the playoffs in 2015 but selected Myles Turner in the draft.

In 2016, they made the playoffs but lost to Toronto Raptors in Game 7. Coach Frank Vogel was not renewed due to performance issues. Nate McMillan replaced him as coach. The team made several roster changes before the start of the season, including signing Monta Ellis and Lance Stephenson.

Recent Failures

The Pacers qualified for the 2017 NBA Playoffs with a 42-40 record but were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games. On June 30, 2017, Paul George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

In the 2017-2021 era, Oladipo won the NBA Most Improved Player Award and had a career-high season. Sabonis led the team in rebounding during the 2017-18 season. The Pacers faced the Cavaliers in the playoffs twice during this era but lost both times.

Recent Successes

In the 2018-2019 season, Oladipo was ruled out with a ruptured quad tendon, but the team finished 48-34 and secured a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive time. The Pacers were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2019 playoffs.

Before the 2019-2020 season, the team fielded four new starters and signed several reserves, including T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday, and Jeremy Lamb. The Pacers started the season 0-3 but rebounded to a 26-15 record halfway through the season, led by Domantas Sabonis’ career-best averages.

Subsequently, Sabonis was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a foot injury and would miss the postseason. Following the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Pacers were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final eight games of the regular season.

The Pacers would finish the 2019–2020 regular season with a record of 45–28 and headed into the playoffs as the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. On August 12, 2020, the team announced that they had extended Nate McMillan’s contract.

They then matched up with the fifth-seeded Miami Heat where they would go on to lose the first-round series 4–0 which subsequently ended their 2019–2020 season. Following the loss to the Heat, the Pacers parted ways with head coach Nate McMillan, despite the recent extension.

On October 20, 2020, it was announced that former Toronto Raptors assistant coach, Nate Bjorkgren, had signed a multi-year deal to become the next head coach. The team also signed Oshae Brissett this year. The season would end in the 2021 NBA play-in tournament in a loss to the Washington Wizards.

Following the loss to the Wizards, the Pacers fired Bjorkgren on June 9, 2021. On June 24, 2021, the Pacers announced that they had reached an agreement with former Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle to become the next head coach following Bjorkgren’s departure.

The team also hired Ronald Nored and Lloyd Pierce as lead assistant to Carlisle. In the 2021 NBA draft, the Pacers selected Chris Duarte with the 13th pick and traded up for the 22nd pick, Isaiah Jackson. Duarte was selected to the 2022 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

The Pacers failed to qualify for the 2022 NBA Playoffs with a record of 25–57 in the 2021-22 season. During the season, the Pacers traded away core players including Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and Malcolm Brogdon between seasons.

In return, the Pacers notably received multiple first-round draft picks, sharpshooter Buddy Hield, veterans Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson, as well as young stars Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Smith, and Aaron Nesmith, all lottery picks in the 2020 NBA draft. The team would go on to draft Bennedict Mathurin sixth overall in the 2022 NBA draft along with standout second-round pick Andrew Nembhard.

Mathurin was the Pacers’ highest pick the franchise has owned since selecting Rik Smits second overall in the 1988 NBA draft. On January 31, 2023, both Mathurin and Nembhard were named 2023 NBA Rising Stars.

Tyrese Haliburton was also selected to his first ever NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard for the Eastern Conference. Both Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield were selected to participate in the 2023 NBA Three-Point Contest.

Recent Trades

At the 2023 trade deadline, the team acquired three future second round picks, Jordan Nwora, Serge Ibaka, as well as Indiana-native and former Pacer, George Hill in exchange for the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet. On March 25, Jordan Nwora set a Pacers season-high 33 points against the Atlanta Hawks.

At the end of the season, Bennedict Mathurin passed Chris Duarte for most three-pointers made as a rookie in Pacers franchise history, while Buddy Hield broke Reggie Miller’s record for most three-pointers made in a season. The Pacers selected Bilal Coulibaly seventh overall and walked away with Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Mojave King, and Isaiah Wong after several draft-day trades.

On July 1, 2023, Jarace Walker signed his rookie contract alongside Ben Sheppard. Haliburton signed a max contract extension worth up to $260 million over five years on July 6, 2023. The Pacers made acquisitions including trading away Chris Duarte and signing Bruce Brown during the offseason.

In the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers reached the finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. On January 17, 2024, the Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam in a three-team deal. On January 25, 2024, Siakam earned his first win as a Pacer and was named an Eastern Conference starting guard for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

The Pacers finished the regular season with a record of 47–35, securing the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers won a historic series with an offensive performance, winning 4-3. They were previously successful at Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum (1967-1974) and Market Square Arena (1974-1999). The team moved to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in 1999, where they currently play home games.

The Pacers host concerts and philanthropic events. The Pacers’ colors are navy blue, yellow (gold), cool gray, and white. They have multiple uniforms including a home uniform with blue and yellow trim, a road uniform with blue and yellow trim, and a third yellow uniform with blue trim.

The Pacers have iconic ‘Flo-Jos’ jerseys designed by Florence Griffith-Joyner, which were worn from 1990 to 1997. They unveiled new uniforms in 2005, collaborated on a Hoosiers-inspired uniform in 2015, and unveiled new logos and uniforms with Nike in 2017.

The Pacers have a rivalry with the Detroit Pistons, with their first meeting in the 1990 Playoffs. The rivalry intensified in the 2003-04 season, with the two teams competing for the NBA championship. Notable moments include the ‘Guaran-Sheed’ victory and the Malice at the Palace incident on November 19, 2004.

Nine players were suspended after a violent altercation in the stands. Artest received the longest penalty, the remainder of the season. The Pacers and Pistons split their four regular-season meetings that year.

The Knicks-Pacers Rivalry has been heavily documented since 1977. The rivalry between Reggie Miller and Spike Lee was fueled by six playoff meetings from 1993 to 2000. The series continued with the Knicks upsetting the Pacers in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals and again in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals, winning the series 4-3.

The two franchises first met in the 2004 NBA playoffs, when Indiana won 4–2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Indiana Pacers were seen as title contenders with the best record in the league, led by Reggie Miller, Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest, and Al Harrington.

The Heat were led by rookie Dwyane Wade, Lamar Odom, Eddie Jones, and Caron Butler. The Pacers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals but remained competitive in the Eastern Conference. Miami won their first championship in 2006 after acquiring Shaquille O’Neal.

A rivalry with the Heat was triggered in the 2012 NBA playoffs, marked by several suspensions, flagrant fouls, and confrontations between players. The Pacers took a 2–1 lead but lost the series to Miami, becoming champions themselves in 2012.

In 2013, Indiana faced Miami again in the Conference Finals, with several physical incidents occurring throughout the series. The Heat won the series 4–3, with a 99–76 win in game 7.

The rivalry continued in 2014, with the Pacers facing the Heat for the second consecutive year. Even though the Pacers were viewed as legitimate title contenders, Miami eliminated Indiana again, this time in 6 games.

In 2023, the last players active on either team was Udonis Haslem on the Heat and George Hill on the Pacers, who both competed in all three 2012, 2013, and 2014 playoff series. Indiana sustained significant injuries preventing All-Star Domantas Sabonis and Jeremy Lamb from playing in the 2020 NBA Bubble.

List of the last five seasons completed by the Pacers:

• GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

The current roster is not specified. Retained draft rights are also unspecified. The Pacers have retired Bill Russell’s No. 6 in 2022 and other numbers and Hall of Famers are not specified.

Head coaches include Larry Staverman (1967), Bobby Leonard (1970s-1980s), Jack McKinney, George Irvine, Jack Ramsay, Mel Daniels (interim, 1988), Dick Versace, Bob Hill, Larry Brown (1993-2000), Isiah Thomas, Rick Carlisle, Jim O’Brien, Frank Vogel, and subsequently associate head coach Nate McMillan was promoted to the top spot.

After four seasons in which he compiled a 183-136 record, McMillan and the team parted ways on August 26, 2020, just two weeks after it had been announced that the team had re-signed him. On October 20, 2020, the team hired former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren as their new head coach.

Bjorkgren would lead the Pacers to a 34-38 record in his lone season and the team missed the playoffs. On June 24, 2021, the Pacers re-hired Rick Carlisle for a second stint as the team’s head coach.