History of the Indiana Pacers

80s - Changing Leagues

Before the joining the league, the Indiana Pacers were a dominant franchise in the ABA winning three championships in the early 70s. In 1977 they switched to the NBA while losing their star player George McGinnis. From here they struggled finding the success they were used to in the ABA

90s - Mighty Mouth

In the 90s they began to build around their first NBA legend – Reggie Miller. At first Indiana fans didn’t like the draft pick but he ended up winning them over with his elite scoring and infamous trash talking earning him the nickname “Might Mouth”. The Pacers had many intense duels with the Knicks in the playoffs where Spike Lee was known for trying to get under Reggie’s skin.

00s - Malice at the Palace

The early 2000s team was known for their physicality and toughness. In 2000 they made it to the NBA finals only to fall short to Kobe and Shaq’s Lakers. A couple of seasons later they would win 61 games but come up one series short of returning to the finals losing to the Pistons. The next season, in 2004, the team would fall apart after getting into a brawl with the Pistons and their fans known as the Malice in the Palace.

10s - Coming Up Short

Frank Vogel’s early 2010s team was known for its defensive intensity under Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West, Lance Stephenson, and George Hill. They would face the Miami Heat twice to go to the finals losing both times once in 6 games and once in 7.