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“Without Herb Simon,” says Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, “I don’t believe the Pacers would be in Indiana any longer. And then what else would we have missed? Think about it. The Colts, the NCAA … the list just goes on and on.”
Scott Agness: Pacers have hired Lauren James as the coaching analytics manager. She’s a former team intern. And was one of two recipients of the most recent Harriet P. Irsay fellowship for women with the Colts.
Scott Agness: Tyrese Haliburton loves hard ... it's why it was so tough on him being traded by Sacramento. He had plans to make it his. Now he's one of the faces of Indy. And the highest paid person in Pacers history. He's in a Colts field suite, and I expect him courtside for Fever-Dream.
The NBA is embracing a Final Four-type model for part of its 2024 All-Star Game showcase in Indianapolis, Indiana. The league will hold its All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. By moving the event from the Indiana Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, attendance for All-Star Saturday Night will more than double from about 17,200 to around 35,000 — a shift similar to that of the NCAA, which now holds the Final Four in domed football stadiums.
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Devin Funchess was the 41st overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers after a stellar college career for the Michigan Wolverines. The 28-year-old spent four seasons with the Panthers (and also had brief stints with the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions). Right now, he is an NFL free agent, and in a recent interview with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Bally Sports, he revealed his love for basketball. Funchess: "I know I have to go overseas and play and get some film, but then after that, my dream growing up was to play in the NBA, so that's my main goal, and that's what I'm gonna make happen"
Where is your optimism on seeing a woman coaching in the NBA sometime in the next five to 15 years? Candace Parker: I have high optimism with that. Organizations are already interviewing, and I think they’re going to start hiring. I think if I were to wager, which I’m not — I repeat WNBA and NBA, I’m not wagering a bet! But if I were to wager a bet, I would say (Pelicans assistant coach) Teresa Weatherspoon is probably the next in line, in my opinion, of someone that is able to do it. I think there’s a number of women that are capable, but it’s who’s going to be the first? That will set the standard for the rest. The hiring of Jeff Saturday (by the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts) actually increases my optimism that it will happen in the next five years.
Myles Turner is leading the league in total blocks & led the #Colts pregame festivities today!#Pacers Center on the anvil for Week 8 - well done @Original_Turner | @WISH_TV pic.twitter.com/ZT3uyv3yRX
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) October 31, 2021
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Consensus can be difficult to come by in the world of fabric and foam. But most agree that there likely isn’t a professional sports league that invests more in mascots or shines a brighter spotlight on their work than the NBA. “The NBA does a lot of great things,” said Trey Mock, who performs as Blue, the mascot of the Indianapolis Colts. “That league puts a lot into entertainment. I’m not trying to compare one league to another, but they have been plugging millions and millions of dollars into the entertainment side of the operation for a long time.”
Kerr immediately criticized Pence for hypocrisy on Twitter, as Pence staged a highly publicized walkout of a 2017 game between the 49ers and Indianapolis Colts due to San Francisco players kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and institutional racism. At the time, Pence tweeted he wouldn't "dignify any event" disrespecting the flag and the national anthem. "When you're incapable of being authentic, you're just throwing stuff at the wall and you don't even really care," Kerr said. "But this is the problem, that truth and facts have sort of gone out the window. So anybody who is paying attention knows full well that not only did the administration not accept peaceful protests, but they turned it around and turned it into an anti-American act. "So, we all saw that and then to then fast forward four years and say, 'No, no, we actually definitely feel strongly that Americans should be allowed to peacefully protest.' It's just like an utter lack of concern or conviction for anything in terms of your truth. There is no truth. So, no character, no conviction and that's a big part of the issue right now, is that the people leading our country are just speaking from both sides of their mouth and just saying whatever they want to say."
In recent weeks, the Colts' special guests have featured more of an NBA flavor, as Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and Hall of Fame sharpshooter Ray Allen have been among those who have spent a few minutes delivering a special message to Indy's players and coaching staff.
We were able to get our hands on a few minutes of Rivers' presentation to the Colts team, which you can watch in its entirety above. But here's what he had to say in full about what he's learned over the years about championship teams: » "I don't think people understand that … I think people think champions don't get hit. Like, you know, I always use boxing, because boxing, for whatever reason, my dad was a big boxing fan, and so I grew up watching boxing matches, and the biggest misnomer is that champions only hit. It's just not true. Champions get hit all the time. And then it comes to a point — how many times are you willing to get hit and keep moving forward and still punch, so you can win? That's what it's gonna come down to: you are going to get hit. You just are. Alright? But you have to be willing to take the punches, you have to be willing to keep moving forward and keep going."
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