3 greatest Indiana Pacers players ever
The Indiana Pacers are still searching their first-ever NBA title. Despite the franchise's three ABA titles in the early 1970s, they are still looking to win their first championship in the modern NBA.
Their only NBA Finals appearance came in 2000 when they lost in six games to the LA Lakers. But that doesn't mean great players haven't come through the state of Indiana.
From great shooters to elite passers, the Pacers have had it all, especially on the offensive side. With that said, here are the three greatest Indiana Pacers players of all time:
#1 Reggie Miller (1987-2005)
Reggie Miller is by most accounts the best Pacers player of all time. The five-time All-Star had a legendary career in the navy blue and gold filled with incredible moments. He is Indiana's all-time leader in minutes played (47,619), points (25,279), assists (4,141), steals (1,505), and 3-pointers (2,560). He started 1,304 games out of a possible 1,389.
Miller retired in 2005 as the NBA's all-time 3-point leader before his record was broken by Hall of Famer Ray Allen in 2011. Miller himself was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 and is a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.
#2 Paul George (2010-2017)
Paul George has arguably been one of the best NBA players of the last 15 years. Most of that is due to his seven seasons as a Pacer. He was a four-time All-Star with Indiana and made three All-NBA Teams.
According to Basketball Reference, George shot below 40% from the field in just one of his seven years in Indiana. In that one season (2014-15), he played just six games after suffering a brutal offseason leg injury with Team USA.
The man they call "PG-13" helped take the Pacers to back-to-back Conference Finals (2012-13, 2013-14) for the first time ever. George is one of just five Pacers to ever win Most Improved Player (2013).
At the height of his time in Indiana, George was an annual MVP candidate and one of the premier one-on-one scorers in the sport.
#3 Mark Jackson (1994-1996, 1997-2000)
Simply put, Mark Jackson is one of the greatest passers in NBA history. At the time of his retirement in 2004, Jackson ranked second all-time with 10,334 career assists. He now sits in sixth place, with 3,294 of those coming with the Pacers (third in Pacers history). He led the NBA in assists in 1997 with 713.
He, like Reggie Miller, helped the Pacers make three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals Appearances (1997-2000). He also helped them make their first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 2000.
Jackson was certainly one of the best point guards and overall passers during his prime in the NBA. A lot of his prime came while in Indianapolis, which brought a lot of success to the organization.