Pacers

As one of the more dominant members of the American Basketball Association (ABA), the Indiana Pacers continued to be an excellent franchise in the NBA. Even if the NBA title has eluded the franchise, the Pacers have produced many winning seasons. Hall of Famers like Reggie Miller, who leads the Indiana Pacers’ team stats, have proudly worn the team’s colors.

While the Pacers were a powerhouse in the 1990s and early 2000s, the franchise has become mediocre in recent seasons. As such, you can find the team at underdog NBA odds on the online sportsbook. But a proper rebuilding effort could see the Pacers return to being a contender.

General Information

Conference & Division

• Founded: 1967
• Conference: Eastern
• Division: Central

City: Indianapolis, Indiana

Stadium: Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Championships & Titles

Years:

• 3 ABA Championships
• 1 Conference Championship
• 9 Division titles

Indiana Pacers All-Time Records

Most points all-time:

• Reggie Miller, 25,279

Most rebounds all-time:

• Mel Daniels, 7,643

Most assists all-time:

• Reggie Miller, 4,141

Most steals all-time:

• Reggie Miller, 1,505

Most blocks all-time:

• Jermaine O’Neal, 1,245

Most wins all-time (coach):

• Bobby Leonard, 529

Indiana Pacers Stats & Team History

The Pacers were the dynasty in the ABA. Indiana Hoosiers star Bobby “Slick” Leonard was the team’s head coach. He guided stars like Mel Daniels and George McGinnis to lead the team to three ABA Championships in five ABA Finals appearances.

However, the Pacers quickly declined when it joined the NBA in 1976. Most of it was due to its NBA championship core disbanding. From the1976-77 to the 1988-89 seasons, the Pacers had a total of two playoff appearances and one winning season.

Fortunately, Indiana began to acquire promising young talent led by Miller. The sharpshooter would go on to lead the Pacers’ team stats and become a Hall of Famer. Others like Detlef Schrempf and Rik Smits helped make Indiana a formidable team. They returned to the playoffs in 1990.

In 1993, the Pacers hired Larry Brown as the new head coach, and he took the team to new levels. The Pacers won its first NBA playoffs series as an NBA franchise in 1994. For two straight playoffs, the team came within one game of making the NBA Finals. Miller became a superstar as he developed a rivalry with the New York Knicks.

Larry Bird replaced Brown as the team’s coach in 1997. Indiana remained a contender and reached the NBA Finals in 2000. This would be their only trip to the NBA Finals as of the 2022 season.

The Pacers re-tooled in the early 2000s as Miller grew older. But the likes of Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest carried the Pacers to a franchise-record 61 wins during the 2003-04 season. Indiana lost in the Conference Finals to their old coach, Larry Brown, and his Pistons.

During the 2004-05 season, Indiana was favored to win the NBA title. However, the team became involved in the infamous “Malice at the Palace”. Artest, who was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, was ejected for the entirety of the season. O’Neal and others also missed a chunk of the year for their involvement in the brawl.

The Pacers struggled for the rest of the year and never recovered. Miller retired and the Pacers had to rebuild. In the early 2010s, the Pacers became respectable again. New head coach Frank Vogel, and blossoming superstar Paul George, led the Pacers to consecutive Conference Finals appearances.

But following their departures, the Pacers became mediocre and have gradually declined. Now, the franchise is in the midst of another rebuild.

Indiana Pacers FAQs