The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
Ben Camey Wallace is an American basketball executive and former professional player who played most of his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Detroit Pistons. He is regarded by many to be the greatest undrafted player in NBA history, and was known for his shot-blocking, rebounding, and overall defensive play. A native of Alabama, Wallace attended Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union University. In his NBA career, he also played with the Washington Bullets/Wizards, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jermaine Lee O'Neal Sr. is an American former professional basketball player. A center/power forward, he had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA draft straight out of high school. O'Neal, at just 17 years of age, was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 17th overall pick, and played his first professional game at 18. At the time, he was the youngest player to ever play an NBA game.
Bradley Alan Miller is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for six National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.
Edward Charles Jones is an American former professional basketball player who played for five teams in his 14-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career. Jones played college basketball at Temple University and was the 1993–94 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. He led the Owls to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament. The three-time NBA All-Star was selected 10th overall in the 1994 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Antonio Lee Davis is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played for Panathinaikos B.C. in Greece and Philips Milano in Italy. Davis is also the former president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). On October 31, 2012, ESPN announced the hiring of Davis as a studio analyst for NBA broadcasts. He is also currently a co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Otis Henry Thorpe is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an NBA All-Star in 1992 and won an NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1994.
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with the Lakers holding home court advantage. The series featured the number one seeds from both conferences. Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series, his first of three consecutive honors, in arguably one of the best NBA Finals performances in history putting up 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.
Roy Denzil Hibbert is a Jamaican–American former professional basketball player. He is a two-time NBA All-Star, and earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2014 with the Indiana Pacers. Hibbert was the runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in the 2013–14 NBA season, placing second behind Joakim Noah.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles. It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center, becoming co-tenants with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers. During the off-season, the team re-acquired former Lakers forward A.C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agents Ron Harper, Brian Shaw and John Salley. Green won two championships with the Lakers in the 1980s, and Salley won three championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win five NBA championships over the course of the next 12 years.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Pacers' 24th season in the National Basketball Association, and 33rd season as a franchise. It was also their first season playing at the Conseco Fieldhouse. During the off-season, the Pacers acquired top draft pick and high school star Jonathan Bender from the Toronto Raptors, and acquired rookie center Jeff Foster from the Golden State Warriors. The Pacers played around .500 with a 7–7 start to the season, but then won 15 of their next 17 games, and held a 32–16 record at the All-Star break. The team finished first place in the Central Division with a 56–26 record, highlighted by a franchise-best 25-game winning streak at home, which was worthy of the Eastern Conference first seed in the playoffs, guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and an all-time franchise best win–loss record.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Pacers' 25th season in the National Basketball Association, and 34th season as a franchise. The Pacers were coming off of an NBA Finals defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. During the off-season, the Pacers hired former Indiana University and Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas as head coach, and acquired Jermaine O'Neal from the Portland Trail Blazers. With the departures of veteran players from the team that reached the Finals last year, the Pacers got off to a 5–2 start, but then struggled losing six of their next seven games, then later on holding a 21–27 record at the All-Star break. The Pacers played mediocre basketball all season long, and finished fourth in the Central Division with a record of 41–41. To qualify for the playoffs, the Pacers needed to win 9 of their final 11 games to secure the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The 2004–05 NBA season was the Pacers' 29th season in the National Basketball Association, and 38th season as a franchise. The Pacers finished third in the Central Division with a 44–38 record. This season also marked the final season for All-Star guard Reggie Miller.
The 2005–06 Indiana Pacers season was the 30th season completed by the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This was also the Pacers first since the 1986-87 season that All-Star guard Reggie Miller was not on the roster as he retired following the 2004-05 season.
The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden State Warriors. Along with their inaugural championship win in the 1946–47 season, the Warriors have won six others in the team's history, including another in Philadelphia after the 1955–56 season, and five more as Golden State after the 1974–75, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2021–22 seasons.
The Indiana Pacers were founded on February 2, 1967, as an American Basketball Association franchise, and moved to the National Basketball Association in 1976. The Pacers were considered a dynasty in the ABA, winning three titles and six conference titles. The Pacers play in the Eastern Conference and Central Division, and they play their home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Pacers have enjoyed some success in the NBA, most notably during the career of Reggie Miller. The Pacers have made the NBA Playoffs 27 out of 44 years, with one trip to the NBA Finals but have never won an NBA championship.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 30th season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Blazers acquired All-Star forward and 6-time champion Scottie Pippen from the Houston Rockets, acquired Steve Smith from the Atlanta Hawks, and signed free agent Detlef Schrempf. The Blazers got off to a fast start winning 13 of their first 15 games, then later on posted an 11-game winning streak in February, and held the league's best record with a 38–11 record at the All-Star break. The Blazers finished with the second best record in the league with a 59–23 record, which tied them for the second-highest win percentage in franchise history. Finishing second in the Pacific Division, they earned the #3 seed in the Western Conference on the basis that the 55–27 Utah Jazz won the Midwest Division title.. The Blazers made the playoffs for the 18th consecutive year.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 31st season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association. In the off-season, the Blazers acquired Dale Davis from the Indiana Pacers, and All-Star forward Shawn Kemp from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade. The Blazers struggled losing three of their first four games, but soon recovered and later on posted a 10-game winning streak between January and February, and held a 35–15 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team re-signed free agent and former Blazers guard Rod Strickland, who was previously released by the Washington Wizards. Despite the strong start, the Blazers struggled and played below .500 for the remainder of the season, posting a 15–17 record after the All-Star break. Falling nine games below the previous season's mark, the Blazers nevertheless made the playoffs for the 19th consecutive year, finishing as the #7 seed in the Western Conference with a solid 50–32 record.
Houston Jerami Grant is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. Grant has also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Detroit Pistons. He won a gold medal with the 2020 U.S. Olympic team.
