Basketball has deep roots and is incredibly important to Indiana and the city of Indianapolis. Therefore, the Indiana Pacers hosting 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend makes too much sense. The All-Star Game and all of the All-Star activities are a celebration of the best players in the NBA, and throughout their history, the Pacers have had plenty of great players.
In preparation of the All-Star Game, we ranked the five greatest Indiana Pacers players of all time.
Mel Daniels, C
Mel Daniels narrowly edges out players like George McGinnis and Jermaine O'Neal for the final spot on the list of the greatest Pacers ever. He won three ABA championships with Indiana in the early '70s and was twice named MVP of the league before the Pacers ever joined the NBA.
Daniels was a beast inside. His career scoring mark is 18.4 points per game, but he was averaging 24 points per game by only his second season in the league (first with the Pacers). The big man was even more dominant on the glass, though. Daniels averaged 14.9 rebounds per game over the course of his career, securing 18 boards on average during his best season and thrice leading the NBA in rebounding.
Rik Smits, C
Shaquille O'Neal once claimed that Rik Smits was the player that gave him the most problems—the highest of praise from one of the greatest players ever. Smits dominated with intimidating size and great strength. He stood a towering 7'4, and played for the Pacers from 1988 to 2000.
Smits was one of the key players during the Pacers' best years in the NBA. He was a one-time All-Star, and after his rookie season, Indiana made the playoffs every year he was on the team except for one. Smits is second in games played for the franchise with 867, and his 12,871 total points also rank second.
The Dunking Dutchman was a great post scorer who was capable of scoring in a variety of ways, whether with his back to the basket or courtesy of a smooth mid-range shot. Like Reggie Miller, Smits spent his entire career with the Pacers, which makes his star power for the franchise even brighter.
Paul George, SF
Paul George had the makings to be the franchise's next Reggie Miller. Unfortunately, he didn't stick in town long enough, as he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder after seven seasons in Indianapolis. Still, there is a legitimate case that George is the most talented player to ever suit up for the Pacers. In fact, it has been common for young athletes to choose George as their favorite player because of how smooth and complete his aesthetically pleasing game is.
George can truly do it all, and this was evident during his time with the Pacers. His handle is unmatched for someone his size, he plays lockdown defense, he can pull up in the mid-range and he can knock down three-point shots.
George isn't top-10 in most all-time statistical categories for the Pacers, but he helped bring the team back to relevancy. Indiana battled with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the playoffs for three consecutive seasons beginning in 2011-12, twice meeting the ‘Heatles' in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Additionally, George put up big numbers in his relatively short time with the team. He averaged 18.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with the Pacers despite having a small role in his rookie season. After that rookie year, George became the team's leader and went on to win the Most Improved Player award, paving the way for three Third Team All-NBA selections and three All-Defense honors before his time in Indianapolis came to a close.
Roger Brown, SF
Roger Brown was the Pacers' first superstar. Brown played in Indiana during their ABA days, and although his career only lasted eight seasons (seven with the Pacers), he made a big impact on the Pacers and is among many reasosn why basketball is such a big deal in the state of Indiana.
Brown was a four-time ABA All-Star and a one-time All-ABA First-Team member, and he was the 1970 playoffs MVP. The Pacers have never won the NBA Finals, but they won the ABA Finals three times, all under the leadership of Brown.
Brown is one of four Pacers with over 10,000 points (10,058), and he ranks seventh in franchise history with 2,214 assists. During his later years, Brown shared the spotlight with McGinnis and Daniels, but he was the team's best player in their first ABA Finals win and was the player who originally brought the team to relevancy.
Reggie Miller, SG
While there is ample room for debate about who deserves the other spots and in what order on this list, there is no doubt who owns the distinction of the greatest Indiana Pacers player of all time. Miller is a legend and one of the best shooting guards ever, and he played his entire 18-year career in Indiana, making him synonymous with the franchise. He is by far the most important player in Pacers history, and he completely changed basketball by helping popularize the three-point shot.
Miller was the NBA's three-point leader for a long time, and he still ranks fourth in all-time makes from deep with 2,560. He is the Pacers franchise leader in games (1,389), minutes (47,619), points (25,279), and assists (4,141). Miller's shot-making ability and clutch play brought the golden era of Pacers basketball in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The shooting guard might actually not have as many accolades as you would expect, though. Michael Jordan usually prevented him from reaching the NBA Finals, and he lost to Shaquille O'Neal's Los Angeles Lakers when he finally did reach the biggest stage in 1999-00. Miller was also only a five-time All-Star, although he was commonly snubbed from the game or was blocked by fellow superstars at his position.
Don't let his lack of All-Star appearances diminish your opinion of him. Miller is by far the best player in Pacers' history, and without his willingness to incorporate the three-point shot, the game wouldn't be what we know it as today.
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