Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis

by Mark Montieth

Overview

Author, Mark Montieth spent decades researching this book through extensive interviews and access to previously unseen internal documents regarding the formation and early seasons of the Indiana Pacers in 1967. He tells the dramatic story of the noble, city-wide effort to establish the franchise after a 14-year hiatus from professional basketball in Indianapolis, as well as the tumultuous and electrifying early seasons when the franchise that thrives today first took root.More than merely recounting the games, he delves into the unique personalities of some of the players and the social issues that influenced their careers. He also captures the carefree, raucous nature of professional basketball in a basketball-crazed state in the Sixties. This was an era when fights in games were common, a player could pack a gun in carry-on luggage for a road trip, newspapers unabashedly promoted the team to help assure its survival, games were played in arenas so cold the players could see their breath, a player could be told he was traded while taking a post-game shower and fans would run onto the court and attack a referee after a game.The Pacers would go on to win three championships in the American Basketball Association, and their popularity would play a critical role in revitalizing downtown Indianapolis by establishing the need for a new arena. This book sets the stage for that era by exploring the difficult birth of the franchise and the fateful events that enabled it.

It is illustrated with numerous photos, many never seen by the public.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780998729817
Publisher:	Halfcourt Press
Publication date:	10/05/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	742,599
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mark Montieth was born and raised in Indianapolis and lives there today. He attended Indiana Pacers games as a child, and grew up to become a sports journalist who reported on the Pacers for many years, including a 12-year period when he covered the team for the Indianapolis Star. He has won many regional and national awards for his writing, as well as for hosting a popular program on the most powerful radio station in central Indiana. He also hosted two sports-related episodes on the local PBS television station.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements v

Introduction 1

1 The Waiting Game 9

2 Back in the Game 18

3 Assembly Required 70

4 Off and Running (and Winning) 118

5 The Long-Shot Candidate's Moment 128

6 The Stars are Aligned 142

7 Reg-gie 165

8 Too Good to be True 216

9 Starting Over 233

10 No More Mr. Nice Guy 247

11 Tumult and Tragedy 269

12 A Heartless Profession 289

13 A Team is Born 324

14 Turning Point 350

15 Commitment 391

Epilogue 395