This Week in Pacers History: Billy Knight's 52 and a Franchise That Started in the ABA
This Week in Pacers History
The Pacers host the Knicks tonight in their 60th season as a franchise. That's a rivalry Indiana fans don't need explained, against the team that won last season's title. Here's what this week in November has meant to Indiana.
Nov. 11, 1980: Billy Knight's 52
Forty-six years ago this week, Billy Knight scored 52 points in a 119-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs. It was a team record at the time.
Knight was one of the Pacers' first great NBA-era scorers. As a second-year player in 1975-76, the franchise's last ABA season, he averaged 28.1 points a game, and he made two All-Star teams in his career.
Nov. 13, 1992: Spoiling a Debut
Thirty-four years ago today, the Pacers beat the Charlotte Hornets in Alonzo Mourning's NBA debut. Mourning scored 12 points and went on to a Hall of Fame career, but the night belonged to Indiana.
From the ABA to the NBA
The Pacers came from the ABA, and that history still defines them.
- 1967: The Pacers were founded as a charter member of the American Basketball Association.
- 1970, 1972, 1973: Three ABA championships under coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard, with Mel Daniels, Roger Brown and George McGinnis
- 1976: Indiana joined the NBA in the ABA-NBA merger. This is its 51st NBA season.
- 1987: The Pacers drafted Reggie Miller, who played all 18 seasons in Indiana.
- 1990s: The Knicks rivalry peaked, including Miller's eight points in 8.9 seconds at Madison Square Garden in the 1995 playoffs.
- 2000: Coached by Larry Bird, the Pacers reached their first NBA Finals.
- 2025: Rick Carlisle's team reached the NBA Finals again and took Oklahoma City to seven games.
- Oct. 21, 2026: A win at New Orleans was the franchise's 2,000th NBA victory.
The Owners
Herb Simon and his late brother Mel Simon, shopping-mall developers, bought the Pacers in 1983 and kept the team in Indianapolis. The Simon family still owns it, one of the longest ownership runs in American sports.
The Pacers Today
- President of basketball operations: Kevin Pritchard
- Head coach: Rick Carlisle, in his 10th season with Indiana and his sixth in this stint.
- He holds the Pacers' record for coaching wins.
- He won his 1,000th career game on Jan. 8, 2026.
- He's 28 wins from passing Rick Adelman for 10th all time.
- Record: 4-8
- Stars:
- Pascal Siakam: 22.2 points a game. He just passed 13,000 career points.
- Tyrese Haliburton: 21.8 points and 9.5 assists in four games. He's out with a left hamstring strain.
- Andrew Nembhard: 17.1 points and 7.6 assists
- Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin and newcomer Ivica Zubac
Retired numbers
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 30 | George McGinnis |
| 31 | Reggie Miller |
| 34 | Mel Daniels |
| 35 | Roger Brown |
| 529 | Bobby "Slick" Leonard (his 529 wins) |
Tonight
Indiana hosts the defending champion Knicks at 7 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Follow every Pacers game: add the Pacers schedule to your calendar with TeamCalendar. It updates itself when game times change.
Sources: NBA.com: Key dates in NBA history, November, Statitudes: On This Day, Nov. 13, Pacers game notes, Nov. 2026, List of current NBA head coaches