Stars of Indiana
The Indiana Pacers are a franchise that often just misses out on the real All-Stars and talents in the NBA. Although they haven't had much success attracting new talent lately, they have had several NBA legends play in a Pacers uniform, with names such as Rik Smits, Reggie Miller, Danny Granger, Paul George, Jermaine O’Neal and Mel Daniels.
Rik Smits
Rik Smits is a former basketball player from Eindhoven who played for the Indiana Pacers from 1988 to 2000. He became the highest-paid Dutch professional athlete of all time, with an estimated fortune of more than 125 million dollars. Smits started playing basketball at the age of fourteen at PSV/Almonte in Eindhoven. In 1984 he left for America, where he played four years for Marist College in Poughkeepsie. In college basketball, Smits learned to make use of his height. After his college years, he was drafted as the 2nd pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. In Indianapolis, Smits grew into a starting center in the NBA, first wearing number 24 and later number 45.
He played a total of 999 games in the NBA and reached the NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers in the 1999/2000 season. Those Finals were lost 4-2 and the trophy went to the Los Angeles Lakers. In the summer of 2000, after twelve years, Smits ended his professional career in America.
History of the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers joined the NBA in 1976. They play their home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The team is named after Indiana's history with the cars of the Indianapolis 500 and the racing industry. Over their time as a franchise, they have had no fewer than six Hall of Fame players – Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Alex English, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown and George McGinnis – who played for the Pacers.
Pacers awards
In 2000, the Indiana Pacers won the semifinal against the New York Knicks and with it claimed their first NBA Eastern Conference Champions trophy; unfortunately, they were unable to win the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. The team has also won nine division titles.