The All-Pacers Team

Taking a look back at the Indiana Pacers history, obviously there were a few great players dating back to the early days, and nobody really questions who is No. 1 on this list, but I felt it was important to remember the guys that helped shape this franchise.

There were some players I left out that didn't stay very long or just played a year or two in the final years of their career, but most of them were long time Pacers players and solid contributors to the team.

This could sort of be somewhat of a tribute to the Pacer teams that I used to listen to in my early years when I had to be in bed by 8 p.m., when they were playing.

Laying down in bed listening to the sounds of Mark Boyle and "Slick" Leonard on my radio, waiting for the "Boom Baby!" at any given moment.

There were the good years and obviously the more recent embarrassing bad days, but if previous history is any indication, Pacers' fans have a lot to look forward to in the years ahead.

With that, let's take a look at the most memorable 20 players in the Pacer's history.

20. Sam Perkins

Sam Perkins was a great contributor to an already solid team.

Sam did what he did best for the team, hang back and wait for the defense to collapse and hit his signature "smooth" three pointer. He wasn't here long, and it was toward the end of his career, but he sure made many Pacers fans glad that we had him at all.

19. Travis Best

Travis was very underrated as a player on the Pacers for such a long time.

He didn't always make the best decisions, but what he did was make it easier for his teammates to score. He was a great backup to Jackson and had many good games. He was loved by the fans and was a solid backup for many years.

18. Austin Croshere

Croshere was one of the hardest working players the Pacers have ever had. He never got many minutes, and rarely started, but when he played, he was electric.

Austin would always be the one you would see flying after loose balls and diving over the first row seats. A great three point shooter as well, Croshere made his presense felt.

Many people related him to Jimmy Chitwood from the movie Hoosiers, which really was a great comparison.

17. Ron Artest

This one was difficult because of what transpired at the Palace in Detroit.

It was the start of the downfall for this franchise. Forgetting that (which is hard to do), he was a very good player for the Pacers.

He was one of the best defenders the team has ever seen, and could score when needed. He made his teammates better, and was actually an easy person to like before the incident.

Still today he embraces the Pacers fans when he comes back to to radio shows and guest appearances. He appreciates the ones that stuck by him in his most trying time of his career.

16. Lasalle Thompson

Thompson was a great player in his own way. He was a key reserve for the great Pacers team of the '93-'94 season.

He played behind Smits and Dale Davis, but still provided the team with an uplift when he came off the bench. Thompson was another under appreciated player in my opinion because he wasn't one of the five best players at the time.

He had a solid career and many Pacers fans will agree with that.

15. Billy Knight

Knight was a decent player for the Pacers, even though he played four years, then left, only to come back for another four-year term, then leave again.

He started his career here back in the 70s so his better days were ahead of him with other teams. He helped shape the Pacers team into what they became in the 80s.

When he came back the second time, Pacers fans were very optimistic.

14. Vern Fleming

Fleming was a great pickup for the Pacers in the 1984 draft. He played a solid role for the Pacers, often sharing the point guard spot with Mark Jackson.

He helped Jackson in a lot of ways, and always had a cool demeanor about himself. He has the record for the longest time without picking up a technical foul in the NBA.

He was a great role model for many young Pacer fans.

13. Jermaine O'Neal

There are many fans split on where Jermaine would fall into this list. When the Pacers first acquired him in a trade with Portland, not many people knew what they had.

His first few years were exciting and he became the face of the franchise when Reggie left. Over the next several years though, he became one of the most injury prone players in the league.

Even though he is gone now, there was still a brief period where he was "the guy" in Indiana, and he handled it with great class.

12. Derek McKey

McKey was one of those scrappers that always played hard on defense, something that is always appreciated in Indiana.

The Pacers were a better team with him on the floor, and he made many plays to get them where they went. He was always willing to come off the bench and provide that spark to the team whenever they needed it.

McKey was one of the best reserves the Pacers have ever had the privilege to bring in.

11. Danny Granger

Granger is the only active Pacers player on this list. For good reason too, as he is the face of the franchise today and is responsible for getting this team back to where they want to be.

He was the most improved player in the NBA last year, and is going to be playing with the USA Olympic team this summer. Granger has been the guy leading them in scoring since he joined the team.

He was a steal with the No. 17 overall pick in the draft a few years ago. There is no telling how good he will become, but he is the future of the Pacers franchise, and the future looks good.

10. Jalen Rose

Jalen was one of the players responsible for getting the Pacers back to the top. He did so by leading them to three straight Eastern Conference Finals Appearances.

He did not play much when he first joined the team, and stated publicly that it was in part to then coach Larry Brown not liking him. When Larry Bird stepped in as coach, Rose began to blossom into one of the best small forwards in the game.

He played for six different teams in the NBA over his career, but his best years were definitely in a Pacers uniform.

9. Wayman Tisdale

Tisdale may have been more famous for his college career, but his career with the Pacers was a successful one as well.

The Pacers drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1985 draft. His best days in the NBA were with the Kings, but his contributions with the Pacers were well remembered.

Tisdale had cancer and suffered an untimely death, which shocked everyone he touched.

8. George McGinnis

McGinnis was part of the '72 and '73 ABA Championship Pacer teams. He was also named Co-MVP of the ABA in 1975 with Julius Erving.

McGinnis was one of the most successful ABA players in history, and really made his place in the Pacer's record books. He set many records as a Pacer, and he really set the franchise in the right direction.

7. Adrian Dantley

It was a difficult decision on whether or not to put Dantley on this list, but it was hard to leave him off considering what he did in his short time here.

In his time with the Pacers, he averaged 27 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, and two steals per game. It was unfortunate that we traded him away after his short time here, because he went on to have a great career.

I felt he deserved a place on this list after what he did for the Pacers.

6. Dale Davis

Davis, aka D Squared, was one of the best defensive players the Pacers have ever had. His rebounding skills under the basket were amazing. He always kept a positive demeanor, but wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with the biggest, baddest players in the league.

Dale was loved by Pacer fans, and he had a great career as a Pacer.

5. Clark Kellogg

Kellogg was drafted in the first round by the Pacers.

In his first season he was selected for the NBA All Rookie Team. He played five seasons for the Pacers before chronic knee problems forced him to retire.

During his time with the Pacers, the team did not have a good record, but he put up some good numbers and did everything he could to help the team.

4. Antonio Davis

The other part of the Davis combo for the Pacers was even more valuable. Antonio has just as good skills on defense as Dale, but was more polished on offense than he was.

Antonio was a solid contributor to the team on both ends of the court during his career. When he finally left the Pacers, many fans were sad to see him go.

Antonio gave 100 percent in every game that he put on his Pacers jersey. He was a great role model and teammate for many years.

3. Mark Jackson

Jackson was the best point guard the Pacers have ever had, and we had him multiple times. He played for a number of teams, but his best years were with the Pacers.

Mark led the team to multiple playoff appearances and had the team on his back in a number of those games. The Jackson Jiggle is still something to be remembered for most Pacers fans.

His career with the Pacers was one of the best, and he was truly an underrated point guard in the league.

2. Rik Smits

When most people think about Rik Smits today, they usually say his name with a smile and laugh a little.

He is different than most typical centers in today's game.

However, he had an amazing career with the Pacers. He was automatic when he got the ball in the post, and even developed an unstoppable jump shot from the mid range.

Smits was also able to handle his business in many many epic playoff games versus Patrick Ewing and the Knicks. Smits always gave 100 percent and was one of the best players the Pacers ever had. His career was cut short by constant foot injuries, but he still visits Indiana today and does a lot of things for the community.

Smits was a great player to have, and always seemed to get the job done.

1. Reggie Miller

Duh.

Reggie owned this town until he retired and a guy named Manning was drafted by the Colts. The countless shots Reggie hit to win games, complete comebacks, and break hearts are forever etched in our memories.

Reggie is one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA and the Pacers were lucky to have him.
Although he never won a title, it seemed as if every year the Pacers were playing Jordan's Bulls or the pesky Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

This is not any kind of excuse, but it just shows the talent that he faced every year in the playoffs.
Reggie was the creator of "Miller Time" and the cause for most of Slick Leonard's "Boom Baby" comments on the radio waves.

Anytime the Pacers needed a basket, you could almost always count on Reggie hitting a big time three pointer.

Reggie was also a great leader in the community and will always be loved by Pacer fans. His numerous records are just another indication of what contributions he made to the team.

Reggie is not only one of the reasons I started liking the Pacers at a young age, but he is also the reason I became a basketball fan at such a young age.

Growing up in Indiana, there are certain things that we all appreciate, and Reggie Miller ranks right up there with the Indy 500, Peyton Manning and the sport of basketball itself.