ABA Finals MVP (George McGinnis, 1973)
The 6'8" hammer that broke Kentucky in seven—before the trophy was even a thing.
Six foot eight. 1973. Seven games against the Kentucky Colonels, and George McGinnis made sure the ball bounced off his chest at least as often as it bounced off anything near Artis Gilmore or Dan Issel. The Indiana Pacers brought home their second consecutive league title that year, and McGinnis was the engine under the hood the whole way. He wasn't spacing out the floor for open looks — he was bulldozing. Drives drawn out of nowhere, rebounds snatched clean out of the paint, a motor that refused to idle for a single possession. Facing two future Hall of Famers across seven games and still leaving both of them in dust on the hardwood? That's a Finals run you don't forget. It's the one the Pacers' early dynasty was built on, the one that still gets pulled up on the Jumbotron at Gainbridge Fieldhouse when somebody in the front office cracks open a tape from '73. Though the ABA didn't officially create the Finals MVP award until 1974, McGinnis's 1973 performance is remembered as the kind of dominance that would have earned it if the trophy had existed.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Power forward for the Indiana Pacers
- Affiliation
- Indiana Pacers (ABA)
- First appears
- 1973 ABA Finals
- Status
- Historic achievement (retired award)
Lore & Background
George McGinnis was a force of nature in the early 1970s, a bruising forward who could score inside, rebound with ferocity, and push the ball in transition like a runaway truck. In the 1973 ABA Finals, the Pacers faced the Kentucky Colonels, a team led by the 7'2" Artis Gilmore and sharpshooting Dan Issel. McGinnis rose to the occasion, averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, using his strength to overpower defenders and his quickness to create mismatches. His performance in Game 7, where he scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, sealed the series. Although the ABA Finals MVP award was not introduced until 1974, McGinnis's dominance in the 1973 Finals is often cited as the kind of performance that would have won the award had it existed. His legacy with the Pacers includes being a two-time ABA champion and a key figure in the team's golden era. The 1973 Finals remain a symbol of his impact, as he later went on to the NBA, but his finest moments came in an Indiana uniform. McGinnis's number 30 hangs in the rafters at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, retired in 1985, honoring his contributions to the franchise's first championships.
Reader's Guide
The 1973 ABA Finals MVP was awarded to George McGinnis after the Indiana Pacers defeated the Kentucky Colonels 4-3 in a brutal, grinding series that featured multiple overtime games and enough elbows to start a bakery. This was the Pacers' second consecutive ABA championship, following their 1972 title, and it solidified their status as a dynasty in the league. McGinnis's dominance—averaging a double-double with key scoring bursts—was crucial in a series where every possession felt like a street fight. The significance of this award extends beyond the series itself. It highlighted McGinnis's emergence as a superstar and helped elevate the Pacers' profile in the ABA. The 1973 title also marked the peak of the franchise's early success, as they would win two more ABA championships in 1970 and 1972, but McGinnis's MVP remains a standout individual achievement. For fans, it represents a time when the Pacers were the class of the league, a blue-collar team with a superstar who played like his jersey was on fire.
Did You Know?
- McGinnis averaged 23.7 points and 11.7 rebounds in the 1973 Finals, leading both teams in scoring.
- He was also named the ABA's Most Valuable Player in the 1974-75 season, his sole league MVP award.
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