Oscar Robertson & George McGinnis ABA Era
A dynasty forged in the ABA, a legacy carried into the NBA.
The George McGinnis era represents the golden age of the Indiana Pacers in the American Basketball Association, spanning roughly 1971 to 1976. When the ABA launched in 1967, the newly minted Pacers in Indianapolis immediately became a powerhouse, though Oscar Robertson never played for the franchise—he was a star for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA and never joined the ABA. Instead, the Pacers built a championship-caliber identity around a deep roster and the coaching of Bob 'Slick' Leonard, capturing ABA titles in 1970, 1972, and 1973 and establishing Indianapolis as a legitimate basketball city. When the team needed a new star, they turned to the explosive George McGinnis, a dominant inside scorer who played for the Pacers from 1971 to 1975 and again for the 1979-80 season, carrying the franchise through its final ABA season and into the 1976 ABA-NBA merger. Together, these eras defined what it meant to be a Pacers fan: a team that competed at the highest level, played with flair, and gave Indianapolis a basketball identity that would carry into the NBA proper.
Quick Facts
- Flagship stars
- George McGinnis (1971–1975, 1979-80)
Lore & Background
The Pacers arrived in the ABA in 1967 with a bold vision: build a team that could dominate the league. While Oscar Robertson never played for the Pacers—he was a legend for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA—the franchise found its identity through the leadership of head coach Bob 'Slick' Leonard. Under Leonard's steady hand, the Pacers developed a balanced, fast-paced style that made them perennial contenders. The 1970, 1972, and 1973 ABA Championships cemented the team's legitimacy and gave the city a taste of what it felt like to be the best in a league. By 1971, the Pacers had turned to George McGinnis, a power forward whose post moves and relentless scoring made him one of the ABA's most feared interior players. McGinnis, a 3-time ABA All-Star (1973, 1974, 1975), carried the Pacers through a competitive stretch that included a deep run in the 1975 ABA Playoffs against the storied Kentucky Colonels, a rivalry that had defined the league's final years. After a stint in the NBA, McGinnis returned to the Pacers for the 1979-80 season, giving fans one last glimpse of his brilliance. The 1976 merger with the NBA was bittersweet—exciting for the franchise's future, but it meant the end of the ABA as a distinct entity and the end of an era in which the Pacers had been kings. What McGinnis and his teammates left behind was more than trophies. They established a culture of competitive excellence and showmanship in Indianapolis that the franchise has carried, in one form or another, ever since. Pacers fans who remember those years speak of them with a reverence that goes beyond statistics—they speak of a time when their team was the league's heartbeat.
Reader's Guide
1967–1972: The Robertson Dynasty The ABA launches and the Pacers immediately sign Oscar Robertson, the two-time MVP, to be the face of the franchise. Head coach Bob Kurland builds a fast, balanced system around Robertson's passing and scoring. The defining moment comes in the 1970 ABA Finals, where the Pacers defeat the Oakland Oaks to claim their first championship. A second title follows in 1972, solidifying Indianapolis as an ABA power. The era ends when Robertson, a free agent, moves to the NBA in 1974, leaving a void no one thought could be filled. 1974–1976: The McGinnis Transition The Pacers draft George McGinnis and build around his dominant post game. He becomes the league's premier inside scorer and carries the team through a competitive stretch that includes a painful 1975 ABA Finals loss to the Kentucky Colonels—a rivalry that had defined the league's final years. The 1976 ABA-NBA merger closes the chapter. The Pacers enter the NBA as a new team, but the foundation Robertson and McGinnis laid—competitive pride, a loyal fanbase, a city that cared—carries forward into the next era. For fans, these two stretches are inseparable. Robertson made the Pacers a destination; McGinnis kept them relevant through the transition. Together, they are the bedrock of Pacers identity.
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