Indiana Pacers info

2005 has just got to be better for the Indiana Pacer ticket holders than 2004. Unless you were living the Congo for the past year, you are familiar with Indiana’s woes that began on November 19th of that year. One that day, the worst brawl in NBA history resulted in the Pacers losing key players for much of the season, including a season-long suspension for All-Star Ron Artest. The team regrouped for the NBA Playoffs, and made a late run for the NBA Finals, before bowing out to the Detroit Pistons in the second round. Not exactly an ideal swansong for future Hall-of-Famer Reggie Miller.

This year the Pacers take the court at Conseco Fieldhouse without Miller for the first time in 18 years, but the news is good. Artest is back, and he joins Jermaine O’Neal as the heart and soul of a Pacers team that is considered one of the three best teams in the Eastern Conference. Like him or not, Artest is one of the toughest competitors in the league. There is no one else in the league who is his equal at wearing down opponents on both ends of the floor. He looks to reward Indiana Pacers ticket holders for their patience in 2004 with a stellar 2005 season.

The Pacers got their start in the ABA, and were the premier team of that league, winning ABA gold in 1970, 1972, and 1973. The Pacers played in five of the ABA’s eight championship series. But the team struggled in their transition to the NBA in 1976.

Dark days followed, until the Pacers were able to build a team around two gunslingers who never backed down from a challenge. Chuck Person came to town in 1986, and promptly led his team in scoring as rookie. Dubbed “The Rifleman,” Person made Indiana an NBA Playoff team just in time for Miller’s arrival. For as brash as Person was, Miller grew even more audacious as he developed into an All-Star.

Person would fade out in the late eighties, but Miller only got stronger. He became the unequivocal leader of a perennial NBA Playoff team that had several epic battles with the Knick and Bulls through the 1990s.

In 1997 Larry Bird came to town as coach, and by the 2000-01 season he had taken the team to their first trip to the NBA Finals. They were beaten by the Shaq and Kobe Lakers in six games.

The Pacers are hungry. Hungry to make Indiana Pacers ticket holders forget about “The Brawl.” Hungry to re-establish themselves as the best team in the East. And hungry to punch a return ticket to the NBA finals. Get your Indiana Pacers tickets now, so you can see it all happen.