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ABA Days

Pacers Will Pay for Backboard Boomer Broke and Rock Retros

by Josh Dhani on January 26, 2012 at 6:02 pm · 10 comments

If you haven’t heard now, the Pacers’ mascot Boomer recently took his talents to Hancock County High School to display his talents for the school’s pep rally. However, things went wrong when Boomer dunked off a trampoline during the halftime show and broke the backboard.

Luckily, no one was injured and the Pacers have announced that they will pay to replace the shattered goal.

In other news, to celebrate the ABA’s 45th anniversary, Indiana will be rocking some retro uniforms for the NBA Hardwood Classics month. They will be wearing it for the following games, via Pacers.com:

Indiana will be wearing the blue road uniforms they had when they were in the ABA from 1971-1974.

I like it. What do you guys think?

The Lowdown on ABA Pacer Don Buse

by Tim Donahue on January 13, 2012 at 12:10 pm · 0 comments

From time to time, we like to point our readers in the direction of some worthwhile writers and posts around the NBA blogosphere. Today, we bring you Curtis Harris of Hardwood Paroxysms and The Lowdown: Don Buse.

It’s hard to pluck just a few lines from such a great piece (just one of a great series of Lowdowns), but this is a nice microcosm of a guy’s career who deserves to be remembered far more than he is. Harris excerpted this passage on Buse from a Sports Illustrated piece in 1977

In Boston, the public-address announcer had to ask Don Buse how to pronounce his name. In Milwaukee, a sportswriter burned out his typewriter criticizing the Bucks’ guards for being victimized by a “nonentity” named Don Buse (Boo-See). In Atlanta, Lou Hudson, a 10-year veteran, said he had “never heard of him” before playing against Buse for the first time. New Orleans’ Pete Maravich had “heard of him but never seen him.” Presumably that held true the night Buse swiped the ball from Maravich four times.

Then he further explains the road Buse took from obscurity to mild fanfare.

Over the next three seasons, Buse would team with Paul Westphal, Walter Davis, Truck Robinson and Alvan Adams for a high octane Suns team that won 49, 50 and 55 games. His assists totals took a hit as everyone but Robinson was a superb passer and averaged over 4 a game, but his skills remained undiminished as he fit like a glove into their defense-leads-to-offense scheme.

I must admit that I appreciate Boo-Boo more retroactively than I did when I was watching him – but I’ve got an excuse. Don’s first stint with the Pacers spanned from my 6th year on the planet to my 11th. I was just a touch more fascinated with Dave Starsky’s red-and-white Gran Torino than professional basketball at that point in my life.

Another thing that prevented me from “getting” Buse was that, at my tender age, he wasn’t much more to me than “not Billy Keller” at that point. Billy, you see, was my first favorite Pacer.

But, it’s never to late to give a really good player his due, and it’s always the right time to give yourself the gift of reading the work of a guy like Curtis. Enjoy.

Related Topics: ABA, ABA Days, Other People's Words

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Five Things Every Pacers Fan Should Want

by Jared Wade on May 19, 2011 at 6:08 pm · 3 comments

Being a Pacers fan for the past, oh say, seven years has been pretty rough. But recent surveys (more on this in the future), not to mention the team’s valiant, even if unsuccessful, five-game series against the Bulls, suggest that Hoosiers are coming back around on this franchise. People are once again becoming engaged in rooting for a squad that, after much embarrassment and mediocrity (at best), once again looks to be on the right course.

How this summer plays out — including who becomes coach, which free agents are signed, who the team drafts and, most importantly, what happens with the Collective Bargaining Agreement — will have a big effect on the long-term future, but things certainly look to be headed up.

So it’s time for every Pacer fan to re-engage with the team.

Here are five things you might want to consider tracking down to show your support.

#5. This Amazing Basketball Card

It’s been far too long since I have checked in with our good friend Fat Shawn Kemp. He routinely posts fantastic sports cards, posters and otherwise fantastic images from yesteryear. I was about to link to this Reggie/Detlef/Fleming/Dreiling doozy. But then I saw the one above. They just don’t make them like that. It’s a veritable “who’s who?” of “who’s that?” If you can find this card, buy it.

#4. Pacers Hard Hat

Popularized by sign man Matt Ason (seen here sans hard hat with Bill Walton), this one is just a 90s’ Pacers classic. It also will protect you if you happen to find yourself in any of the first five rows while Dahntay Jones is attempting three-points. Pick up your Pacers hard hat here.

#3. Larry Bird “The Pace Setter”

I have no idea what this is. But I found it on eBay recently and think it’s wonderful. Kind of reminds me of the George Costanza pose from Seinfeld, but I’m not sure why. Here’s what the the description says: “This is a limited edition Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics print called “The Pacesetter”. It is signed by the artist David Taylor. You also get the paperwork with this that tells how many were made and the original selling price which was very expensive.” Paperwork included? Go place your bid now.

#2. Bobbleheads

I recently got the Jeff Foster one and my life hasn’t been the same since. We eat breakfast together at my desk most mornings. His head bobbles and he has a creepy smile that shouldn’t be allowed within 500 yards of a school. Go here to pick up Jeff, Danny Granger, Tyler Hansbrough, Paul George, Darren Collison or Roy Hibbert (who looks more like a member of New Edition than the Pacers).

#1. ABA Pacers Pennant

Most people won’t remember — and I wasn’t alive — but the Pacers were once champions. The 1970s were a crazier time, and the recent resurgence to playoff status by no means means that they are anywhere approaching that again in the new future. But Indiana fans can dream. And while they dream, they can wave around a pennant that has a guy dunking a tennis ball on it. This, too, can be yours if you head over here. (Even if Google doesn’t believe you actually want one. “Did you mean: packers pennant?” Oh, Google.)