Indiana Pacers

From Hoopedia

1 Franchise Name History
2 Indiana Pacers Franchise History
3 Franchise Arenas
4 Franchise Personnel
5 Retired Numbers
6 External Links

Franchise Name History

When professional basketball came to Indianapolis in 1967, one of the key decisions would be what to call the new American Basketball Association franchise.

According to Indianapolis attorney, Richard D. Tinkham, the nickname “Pacers” was decided on through a collective decision of the original investors. Tinkham, one of those investors, recalled that the nickname was a combination of the state’s rich history with the harness racing pacers and the pace car used for the running of the Indianapolis 500. Investor Chuck Barnes was a horse racing enthusiast in addition to being business manager of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Roger Ward. Barnes' wife, Lois, suggested the name over dinner.

Tinkham said the “Pacers” decision was an easy one, but the real debate was whether the team should be called the Indiana Pacers or the Indianapolis Pacers. Since one of the original ideas for the team was to have it playing throughout the state with its base in Indianapolis, the official team name became the Indiana Pacers.

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Indiana Pacers Franchise History

The Indiana Pacers joined the NBA for the 1976-77 season as one of four former American Basketball Association franchises to cross over when the two leagues merged. The three-time ABA champions struggled from the beginning in the NBA, posting only one winning season in their first 13 NBA campaigns. After a decade and a half of failure, the team finally began to play .500 ball in the early 1990s. By mid-decade, the Pacers had become one of the Eastern Conference's top clubs. From 1994-2000, they reached the conference finals five times, won two Central Division titles and advanced to the NBA Finals in 2000. Read More...

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