Indiana Pacers

Lore & Background

The Pacers have won three championships, in 1970, 1972, and 1973, all in the ABA. They also reached the ABA Finals in 1969 and 1975, and have also appeared in the NBA Finals in 2000 and 2025. The team has also won nine division titles. The Pacers were the most successful team in ABA history, winning three ABA Championships in four years. In all, they appeared in the ABA Finals five times in the league's nine-year history, which was an ABA record.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the American Airlines Arena is thick with sweat and tension. It's Game 7 of the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals. The crowd roars as Dwyane Wade drives into the paint, met by a wall of Indiana blue. A whistle blows, but no foul is called; instead, a shove erupts between centers. Shaquille O'Neal stands on the sideline, his eyes locked on the court, remembering the knee that ended his season last year. The referee's hand signals are ignored as players from both benches surge forward, the hardwood shaking under the weight of pure, unadulterated hatred.

Reader's Guide

The Pacers were one of four ABA teams that joined the NBA in the ABA–NBA merger in the 1976–77 season, along with the Denver Nuggets, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs. The league charged a $3.2 million entry fee for each former ABA team. The Pacers finished their inaugural NBA season with a record of 36–46. Billy Knight and Don Buse represented Indiana in the NBA All-Star Game. During their first 13 years in the NBA, they had only two non-losing seasons and only two playoff appearances. In 1986–87, Jack Ramsay led the Pacers to a 41–41 record and their second playoff appearance as an NBA team. Chuck Person won NBA Rookie of the Year honors. Their first playoff win in NBA franchise history was earned in game 3 of their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, but the Hawks defeated them in four games. In the 1993–94 season, Larry Brown coached the Pacers to an NBA-era franchise-high 47 wins. They swept the Orlando Magic in the first round and defeated the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the conference semifinals.

Did You Know?

• Six Hall of Fame players – Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Alex English, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown, and George McGinnis – played with the Pacers for multiple seasons.
• The franchise has multiple Hall of Fame coaches in Bobby 'Slick' Leonard, Jack Ramsay, and Larry Brown.
• Former Pacers inducted into international Halls of Fame include Miller and Detlef Schrempf in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
• Reggie Miller became the first Pacer to play in the NBA All-Star Game since 1976 on the strength of his 24.6 points-per-game average in the 1989–90 season.