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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Remember the Pacers Players over the years

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  • #1

    Remember the Pacers Players over the years

    The Pacers have had many very good basketball players since 1967. I will try to post one of them each week for your enjoyment. I have seen all of these player live, and will also recount some of my experiences as a Pacer fan: I will use multiple references, this post on Bob Netolicky is primarily from Wikipedia.

    Robert Netolicky     (born August 2, 1942) is a retired American basketball player. A 6'9" power forward/center, he played professionally in the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976. Netolicky was a four-time ABA All-Star and two-time ABA Champion.


    A graduate of Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where his father was a surgeon, Netolicky was an All-American selection at Drake University, playing for Coach Maury John. Netolicky was a first team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection in 1967 and left as Drake's all-time rebounding leader (717), and fifth all-time leading scorer, with 997 points, playing for the Drake Bulldogs from 1963 to 1967. After his career at Drake, Netolicky was drafted by the National Basketball Association's (NBA) San Diego Rockets as the 18th pick the 1967 NBA draft, one selection behind Phil Jackson by the New York Knicks.

    However, he never played for the Rockets, instead joining the new ABA's Indiana Pacers, who had drafted him in the first ABA draft. A four-time ABA All-Star and two-time ABA Champion, Netolicky was a well-rounded player who could rebound, defend, and shoot the ball equally well. Jim O'Brien of The Sporting News once claimed that Netolicky was the "smoothest shooting big man in the ABA."] Besides the Pacers, Netolicky briefly played for the Dallas Chaparrals and San Antonio Spurs, and he ended his ABA career with 9,876 career points and 5,518 career rebounds.

    Indiana Pacers 1967–1972

    Drafted by the Pacers in the first ABA draft, Netolicky would play in every season of the ABA. It was noted that Netolicky negotiated a Chevrolet Corvette into his initial Pacers signing bonus. As a rookie in 1967–68, playing under Pacers Coach Larry Staverman, Netolicky averaged 16.3 points and 11.5 rebounds, as the Indiana Pacers finished 38–40 in their first season. In the playoffs, Netolicky averaged 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in a series loss to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Pipers. Netolicky was named to the All-ABA Rookie team with Louie Dampier of the Kentucky Colonels, Mel Daniels of the Minnesota Muskies, Jimmy Jones of the New Orleans Buccaneers and Trooper Washington of the Pittsburgh Pipers. Netolicky was selected as a member of the East team in the ABA All–Star game.

    In his second season, the Pacers won the ABA Eastern Division championship with a 44–34 record after Larry Staverman was replaced by Hall of Fame coach Slick Leonard early in the season. Playing along side Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame members Roger Brown and Mel Daniels, as well as Freddie Lewis, Netolicky averaged 18.9 points and 10.2 rebounds in the regular season. After defeating the Kentucky Colonels and Miami Floridians in the playoffs, the Pacers advanced to the ABA Finals, where they lost to the Oakland Oaks in five games. In a losing effort, Netolicky averaged 26.4 points in the Finals to lead the Pacers. Netowkicky was again selected to appear in the ABA All–Star game representing the East.

    Netolicky helped lead the Pacers to the ABA Championship in 1969–70. Finishing the season with a 59–25 record to win the Eastern Division. Netolicky averaged 20.6 points and 10.7 rebounds in the regular season. On April 12, 1970, the Pacers defeated the Pittsburgh Pipers 177–135, with Netolicky scoring 28 points in the game. In the playoffs, under Coach Slick Leonard, the Pacers swept the Carolina Cougars in four games and defeated the Kentucky Colonels 4 games to 1 to advance to the ABA Finals. In the ABA Finals, the Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Stars 4 games to 2 to win the ABA championship, with Netolicky averaging 20.3 points in the Finals, second on the Pacers who were led by Roger Brown's 33.2 average. In the second game of the series, a 114-111 Pacers victory, Netolicky scored 32 points, making 14 of 22 shots, including 10 in a row in the second half. Netolicky also grabbed a rebound with six seconds left, drawing a foul. He then made the two free throws to complete the scoring. Before a game 5 loss, Netolicky had gone water skiing the previous day with his attorney and strained muscles in his arm. In game 5, he made 7 of 22 shots and fired a few air balls in a 117–113 overtime loss. After the game he said, "I missed about 10 easy shots, if I hadn't gone water skiing, we would have won it at home." In 1969–70, Netolicky was named to the All–ABA Second Team and was selected to play in his third consecutive ABA All–Star game.

    In 1970–71, Netolicky was named to appear in the ABA All–Star game for the final time in his career. Netolicky averaged 18.8 points and 9.4 rebounds as the Pacers won the ABA Western Division title with a 58–26 record. After sweeping the Memphis Pros in four games to begin the playoffs, the Pacers were defeated in the Western Division Finals by the eventual ABA champion Utah Stars in seven games, as Netolicky averaged 14.4 points in the series.

    The Indiana Pacers won a second ABA Championship in 1971–72, with Netolicky averaging 15.1 points and 9.2 rebounds during the regular season. In the playoffs, the Pacers defeated the Denver Rockets in seven games and the defending champion Utah Stars in seven games to advance to the ABA Finals. Netolicky averaged 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds against the Rockets and 10.7 points with 5.6 rebounds against Utah. In the finals victory over the New York Nets, losing time to Pacers teammate George McGinnis, Netolicky averaged 4.3 points in the six game series.

    Dallas Chaparrals 1972–1973/San Antonio Spurs 1973


    Netolicky played for the Dallas Chaparrals in the 1972-1973 season. Netolicky had been purchased from the Indiana Pacers on August 12, 1972 for $250,000. With Dallas, Netolicky played center instead of his usual power forward position and averaged 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Chaparrals, who finished 28–56. He was the team's leading rebounder and second leading scorer. Dallas missed the 1973 ABA playoffs.

    The Dallas Chaparrals moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1973. Netolicky continued with the franchise to begin the 1973–74 season, playing 19 games with the Spurs at power forward and averaging 12.1 points and 5.3 rebounds at age 31. After 19 games with the Spurs, Netolicky was reacquired by the Indiana Pacers for cash and a draft pick.

    Indiana Pacers 1973–1975


    Rejoining the Pacers in November, 1973, Netolicky was reunited with coach Slick Leonard and his former Pacers teammates Roger Brown, Freddie Lewis, Mel Daniels and George McGinnis. Netolicky played 20.7 minutes per game, averaging 9.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 56 games for the Pacers. Indiana had a 7–8 record when Netolicky rejoined the team, but finished with a 46–38 record. The Pacers qualified for the playoffs, defeating Netolicky's former San Antiono Spurs in seven games before losing to the Utah Stars in seven games. An injured Netolicky did not play in the playoffs.

    Netolicky is one of the few professional basketball players to play for both teams in the same game. On November 14, 1973, Netolicky was playing for the San Antonio Spurs when they lost at home to the Indiana Pacers on a last-second shot. The Spurs protested the loss, and the ABA Commissioner ruled for San Antonio. The Pacers' last-second basket was disallowed, and the remaining 30 seconds of the game (which was the portion that San Antonio had protested) was ordered replayed immediately before the next Pacers-at-Spurs game, on December 2, 1973. By that time, however, Netolicky had been traded to Indiana. He played the final 30 seconds of regulation for the Pacers, plus the subsequent overtime.

    In his final full season, Netolicky averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds for the 1974–75 Pacers. He scored total 10 points in seven playoff games playing as a deep reserve, as the Pacers were defeated by the Kentucky Colonels after advancing to the ABA Finals.

    The 1975–76 season was the final ABA season, as the league merged into the NBA after the season. After playing four games in the 1975–76 season, Netolicky's career ended with his last game on October 29, 1975. He retired with ABA career averages of 16.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 49.4% shooting in 618 career ABA games.

    In 1978, Netolicky played eight games with the Baltimore Metros/Mohawk Valley Thunderbirds of the Continental Basketball Association, averaging 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. The team was coached by his longtime Pacers teammate Freddie Lewis.
    Personal


    Netolicky was very close friends with his Pacers teammate Mel Daniels.[37]

    Bob Netolicky was a fan favorite during his playing days, well known for his advocacy of mod lifestyle and his exotic pets (including a lion and an ocelot). One sportswriter called him the "Broadway Joe Namath of the ABA", since he had become a veritable sex symbol to many of Indiana's female fans.[4]

    During his career, Netolicky owned a popular nightclub in Indianapolis called Neto's, located in the Meadows Shopping Center. Neto's was frequented by players and celebrities alike. Netolicky also sponsored numerous race cars and operated a car dealership. (I remember going over to Neto's a few times, once after the Pacers won the Championship a friend and I went over, I drank a considerable amount of champagne with Freddy Lewis, Slick Leonard, and Bob Netolicky. I remember Slick and Freddy trying to shoot out a ceiling light with a champagne cork. (they both missed).
    Go Pacers!
    Tags: None
    • 6 likes
  • #2
    I heard a story that when Neto came to Indianapolis to meet with the people in charge, they took him to White Castle because that’s all they could afford. Neto loved those burgers and that was one of the deciding factors in him signing with the Pacers.
    • 4 likes

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    • #3
      I can't remember if I'm confusing him with Bill Lambier in this story, but didn't he fly into Indianapolis to meet with the Pacers after they drafted him by flying himself in his Dad's plane? By flying himself I literally mean piloting the plane.

      He is one of the Pacers that was before my time by one damn year. I honestly only know about him via legend and a few tapes. However from what I could tell he was what would now be considered a prototypical stretch four, I think. Not sure if he stretched it out to the three point line but more along the lines of a David West where 16-18' was easily in range for him.

      For those of you guys that watched him was he considered a physical player? I would think if you played for Slick during that time you better bet your *** you were being physical but that is just me thinking that.


      Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

      Comment

      • #4
        I don't remember him flying in, but he was a physical player who could shoot a mid range shot, as you said much like David West.
        Go Pacers!

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by BobbyMac View Post
          I don't remember him flying in, but he was a physical player who could shoot a mid range shot, as you said much like David West.
          I'll be honest I'm probably remembering Bill Lambier here.


          Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

          Comment

          • #6
            Originally posted by Peck View Post

            I'll be honest I'm probably remembering Bill Lambier here.
            I also believe even Lambier would look soft next to Mel.

            Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

            BillS

            A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
            Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...
            • 2 likes

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            • #7
              Freddie Lewis is considered to be one of the greatest Indiana Pacers ever; according to the Indianapolis Star he ranks 8th all time. His 11,660 ABA points place him in the top six in ABA scoring records. As of 2019, he is currently on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class ballot waiting to join his teammates Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, George McGinnis and coach Bob "Slick" Leonard.

              Frederick L. Lewis (born July 1, 1943) is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA). He is the only player to start his career in the NBA, and play all 9 full ABA seasons (1967-1976) until the NBA/ABA merger, then sign back with the NBA.

              Born in Huntington, West Virginia, Lewis was a fundamentally sound 6'0" (1.83 m) guard who could pass, shoot, and defend equally well. He attended McKeesport Area High School (in Pennsylvania) and Arizona State University before being drafted by the NBA's Cincinnati Royals.


              A 10th-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Royals in 1966, he earned a spot as Oscar Robertson's backup, averaging 4.7 points and 1.3 assists per game. "Oscar taught me a lot," Lewis is quoted on remembertheaba.com about the legend from Indianapolis. "(He) taught me how to be cool, how to handle situations instead of running all over the court helter-skelter." Lewis was selected by San Diego in the NBA expansion draft but instead signed with the Pacers in the ABA.


              In '72, he had 23 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 7 vs. Utah in the semifinals, hitting two free throws with 24 seconds left for the winning points. Lewis also led a comeback from a 20-point deficit in Game 5 vs. New York in the finals, hitting the game-winning free throws with 17 seconds.

              Lewis was an essential piece of the Indiana Pacers dynasty. A versatile guard that could make big plays in the clutch. He averaged 16.1 points per game, 4 assist and 3.9 rebounds in seven seasons with the Pacers. He was a 3x ABA champion and the 1972 Playoffs MVP. Lewis also added four ABA All-Star appearances and the 1975 All-star game MVP award to his resume.
              Later years


              After the Pacers lost to the Utah Stars in the 1974 finals, however, the Pacers traded Lewis, along with Brown and Daniels, to the Memphis Sounds. Daniels, the Sounds' starting center, then injured his back after slipping in his bathtub, and Lewis was traded to the Spirits of St. Louis in exchange for replacement center Tom Owens.

              Lewis averaged a career high 22.6 points per game with the Spirits in 1974–1975, was named MVP of the 1975 ABA All-Star Game, and led the young team into the playoffs. However, Lewis suffered an ankle injury, and the Spirits bowed out to the Kentucky Colonels, the eventual champions. After one more year with the Spirits, Lewis returned to the Pacers (who by this point had joined the NBA), and he retired in 1977 with 12,033 combined NBA/ABA career points.

              ABA All-Time Team

              Freddie Lewis was selected to the ABA All-Time Team on August 23, 1997, in conjunction with the ABA 30th Anniversary reunion. It comprised the thirty best and most influential players of the ABA during its 10 years and 9 full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only to performance at the professional level but in consideration of sportsmanship, team leadership, and contributions to the growth of the league basketball, and irrespective of positions played. Only players to have played at least a portion of their careers in the ABA were eligible for selection, although performance in other leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association was ostensibly considered. Selected and announced beside the all-time team were a most valuable player and top head coach.

              Hall of Fame balloting

              Freddie Lewis is considered to be one of the greatest Indiana Pacers ever; according to the Indianapolis Star he ranks 8th all time. His 11,660 ABA points place him in the top six in ABA scoring records. As of 2019, he is currently on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class ballot waiting to join his teammates Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, George McGinnis and coach Bob "Slick" Leonard.
              Go Pacers!
              • 4 likes

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              • #8
                Originally posted by BobbyMac View Post
                Freddie Lewis is considered to be one of the greatest Indiana Pacers ever; according to the Indianapolis Star he ranks 8th all time. His 11,660 ABA points place him in the top six in ABA scoring records. As of 2019, he is currently on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class ballot waiting to join his teammates Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, George McGinnis and coach Bob "Slick" Leonard.

                Frederick L. Lewis (born July 1, 1943) is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA). He is the only player to start his career in the NBA, and play all 9 full ABA seasons (1967-1976) until the NBA/ABA merger, then sign back with the NBA.

                Born in Huntington, West Virginia, Lewis was a fundamentally sound 6'0" (1.83 m) guard who could pass, shoot, and defend equally well. He attended McKeesport Area High School (in Pennsylvania) and Arizona State University before being drafted by the NBA's Cincinnati Royals.


                A 10th-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Royals in 1966, he earned a spot as Oscar Robertson's backup, averaging 4.7 points and 1.3 assists per game. "Oscar taught me a lot," Lewis is quoted on remembertheaba.com about the legend from Indianapolis. "(He) taught me how to be cool, how to handle situations instead of running all over the court helter-skelter." Lewis was selected by San Diego in the NBA expansion draft but instead signed with the Pacers in the ABA.


                In '72, he had 23 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 7 vs. Utah in the semifinals, hitting two free throws with 24 seconds left for the winning points. Lewis also led a comeback from a 20-point deficit in Game 5 vs. New York in the finals, hitting the game-winning free throws with 17 seconds.

                Lewis was an essential piece of the Indiana Pacers dynasty. A versatile guard that could make big plays in the clutch. He averaged 16.1 points per game, 4 assist and 3.9 rebounds in seven seasons with the Pacers. He was a 3x ABA champion and the 1972 Playoffs MVP. Lewis also added four ABA All-Star appearances and the 1975 All-star game MVP award to his resume.
                Later years


                After the Pacers lost to the Utah Stars in the 1974 finals, however, the Pacers traded Lewis, along with Brown and Daniels, to the Memphis Sounds. Daniels, the Sounds' starting center, then injured his back after slipping in his bathtub, and Lewis was traded to the Spirits of St. Louis in exchange for replacement center Tom Owens.

                Lewis averaged a career high 22.6 points per game with the Spirits in 1974–1975, was named MVP of the 1975 ABA All-Star Game, and led the young team into the playoffs. However, Lewis suffered an ankle injury, and the Spirits bowed out to the Kentucky Colonels, the eventual champions. After one more year with the Spirits, Lewis returned to the Pacers (who by this point had joined the NBA), and he retired in 1977 with 12,033 combined NBA/ABA career points.

                ABA All-Time Team

                Freddie Lewis was selected to the ABA All-Time Team on August 23, 1997, in conjunction with the ABA 30th Anniversary reunion. It comprised the thirty best and most influential players of the ABA during its 10 years and 9 full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only to performance at the professional level but in consideration of sportsmanship, team leadership, and contributions to the growth of the league basketball, and irrespective of positions played. Only players to have played at least a portion of their careers in the ABA were eligible for selection, although performance in other leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association was ostensibly considered. Selected and announced beside the all-time team were a most valuable player and top head coach.

                Hall of Fame balloting

                Freddie Lewis is considered to be one of the greatest Indiana Pacers ever; according to the Indianapolis Star he ranks 8th all time. His 11,660 ABA points place him in the top six in ABA scoring records. As of 2019, he is currently on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class ballot waiting to join his teammates Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, George McGinnis and coach Bob "Slick" Leonard.
                Freddie Lewis’ number should be hanging from the rafters.
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                • #9
                  Hey BobbyMac, I love these.

                  Please start separate ones for each player. I think that would get more views and responses.

                  BTW, Freddie Lewis is such a vastly underrated player in Pacers history and honestly I would like to hear from you guys that remember why that is?

                  Why is he not considered on the same level as Mel, Roger and Big Mac? Did something happen I don't know about? I mean he was the starting point guard for our champion teams so I just don't get why Billy Keller, Darnell Hilman and Bob Netolicky get more appreciation than Freddy?


                  Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

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                  • #10
                    This. I may be of a later generation, but it's still comforting to hear people reflect on the lineage of a great tradition, I may not have seen many of these guys play but I can appreciate when I root for Pacers players today that in a way I'm supporting something greater.

                    Enjoyed the piece about Lewis and Robertson, so important to remember that we owe a great debt to those who come before us in all they teach and guide our way, and in return, we must be faithful to what we've learned from them, about the game, about living, about being a good person. That's what sports are, that's what the Pacers are. Not just competition for it's own sake but to carry fourth the echoes of those who came before.
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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Peck View Post
                      Hey BobbyMac, I love these.

                      Please start separate ones for each player. I think that would get more views and responses.

                      BTW, Freddie Lewis is such a vastly underrated player in Pacers history and honestly I would like to hear from you guys that remember why that is?

                      Why is he not considered on the same level as Mel, Roger and Big Mac? Did something happen I don't know about? I mean he was the starting point guard for our champion teams so I just don't get why Billy Keller, Darnell Hilman and Bob Netolicky get more appreciation than Freddy?
                      I like your ideas.
                      Go Pacers!

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Peck View Post
                        Why is he not considered on the same level as Mel, Roger and Big Mac? Did something happen I don't know about? I mean he was the starting point guard for our champion teams so I just don't get why Billy Keller, Darnell Hilman and Bob Netolicky get more appreciation than Freddy?
                        I would think the other guys you mentioned sticking around Indy or Indiana in general after their playing days made a difference. Mel Daniels helped coach Indiana State University, Bill Keller being a Purdue guy, holding his bball camps for years in Indiana, being a Pacer shooting coach, and being the college coach for U of I. With Darnell he went through out the state representing the Pacers at bball camps and charity events. Out of sight out of mind I guess when it comes to Freddie.
                        You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....
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