2024-10-26 23:00:03
The Pacers franchise has made 37 playoff appearances while playing in both the ABA and the NBA. While they have not yet won an NBA title, they won three championships in the ABA. Let’s dig into their franchise leaders and highlight their top five all-time leading rebounders.
1. Mel Daniels: 7,643
Daniels was a seven-time All-Star in the ABA and was twice named ABA MVP while playing for Indiana. He led the ABA in rebounding in three of his first four seasons, including when he averaged 18.0 rebounds during the 1970-71 season. In each of his first four seasons with the franchise, he averaged at least 15.6 rebounds per game. He undertook a heavy workload, averaging 37 minutes per game with the franchise. Despite playing in just 479 career games with the franchise, he is their leading rebounder thanks to him averaging 16.0 rebounds per game.
2. Dale Davis: 6,006
Davis played for four different teams during his time in the NBA. He made his lone All-Star appearance with the Pacers during the 1999-00 season. His best season on the boards came during the 1993-94 campaign when he averaged 10.9 rebounds per game. That was the only season of his career in which he averaged double-digit rebounds. Over 671 career games with the Pacers, he averaged 9.0 rebounds.
3. Rik Smits: 5,277
Smits spent all 12 seasons of his career with the Pacers. His only All-Star appearance came during the 1997-98 season. Over 867 career games with the Pacers, he averaged 27 minutes and 6.1 rebounds per game.
4. Jeff Foster: 5,248
Like Smits, Foster spent his entire career with the Pacers. He averaged at least 8.1 rebounds in a season four times. That included two seasons in which he pulled down at least 9.1 rebounds per game. Most of Foster’s contributions came on the boards considering that he only averaged 4.9 points per game for his career.
5. George McGinnis: 5,219
McGinnis first played in the ABA, making three All-Star teams with Indiana. He won his lone MVP award during the 1974-75 season when he averaged 29.8 points, 14.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game. After stints with the 76ers and the Nuggets, McGinnis returned to the Pacers to finish his career. He assumed a small role in his final season, averaging 18 minutes over 76 games. Over 487 games with Indiana, he averaged 10.7 rebounds. His achievements in both the ABA and the NBA landed him in the Hall of Fame.
