The Indiana Pacers are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive season, and this year might be their best shot at making it to the NBA Finals since last doing so in 2000. They are up 2-0 on the New York Knicks and are up by double digits in the third quarter of Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — and it's only fitting that a key Pacers player from the teams that made it to the ECF in 2013 and 2014 in Roy Hibbert is in attendance.

Hibbert is currently seated near the Pacers bench and the NBA's official account on X recognized his presence and acknowledged it with a post. However, fans believe that the caption to the post is exaggerating Hibbert's legacy as a Pacer, as they referred to the retired rim protector as a franchise “legend”.

Perhaps Hibbert was on that trajectory following the 2013 NBA playoffs; he was arguably the Pacers' best player during that run to the ECF, pushing the eventual champion Miami Heat to seven games. Hibbert overwhelmed the Heat's frontcourt and his ability to stay vertical on rim contests gave Indiana's defense an edge over that of other teams.

Alas, Hibbert proceeded to have a nightmare 2014 NBA playoff run. In the Pacers' first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, he was played off the court by stretch-five Pero Antic, changing the course of his career for good. Hibbert simply did not have the foot speed to defend the perimeter, and teams schemed for him by relying on a center who can shoot.

Even though 11 years have passed since then, fans still remember how much he struggled during that playoff run — as evidenced by his multiple zero-point, zero-rebound games.

“He's legendary for his numerous 0/0/0 performances despite being a starter 🤣,” X user @jovic_blazo wrote.

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“Not everyone who used to play basketball for a team is a legend 🙄🙄 smh,” @aamirl_ added.

“Legend??? I’m from Indiana he is not a legend. Come on now. We giving participation awards,” @steadychasing furthered.

Roy Hibbert's drop-off ends Pacers' contending run

Heat's LeBron James vs. Pacers' Paul George
© Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Paul George's leg injury in 2014 was the bigger canon event that led to a bit of a downturn for the Pacers in the mid-2010s, but Roy Hibbert's decline hastened that process. Hibbert was supposed to be the league's premier rim protector, but instead, the pace and space NBA got him outmoded really quickly.

Hibbert then bounced around from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Charlotte Hornets to the Milwaukee Bucks and then finally landing with the Denver Nuggets before retiring early.