The Time Muhammad Ali Visited The Indiana Pacers Locker Room

On Dec. 17th, 1999, the Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali, dropped by the Indiana Pacers locker room.

The world mourns the death of Muhammad Ali today, a man that hyperbole doesn’t do enough to explain the impact he left.

In case you forgot the details, the Associated Press’ Tim Dahlberg did one of the best jobs summing up — if that’s possible — Ali’s life both as a boxer and as an American icon.

After is boxing career had ended, Ali was still in the spotlight, raising awareness for Parkinson’s disease and most memorably, lighting the Olympic torch in Atlanta in 1996.

Ali often graced sporting events in his retirement, but it wasn’t just the bigger ones he stopped by. In December of 1999, Ali made on of his quieter visits when he took his son’s youth basketball team a game in Indiana as the Pacers squared off with the Utah Jazz.

Pacers.com explains that despite a slow start, the Pacers won in front of the legend, who visited them in the locker room both before and after the game.

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"They got things righted by winning 15 of 17 games from the end of November through the first week of January. The highlight of that stretch was a visit from boxing legend Muhammad Ali for a game against Utah on Dec. 17. Ali had purchased 20 tickets for his son’s youth basketball team, and watched the game from the front row across from the team benches. The Pacers met him before the game and were thrilled – “like kids at Christmas,” Rose said.Kids at Christmas don’t show poise, though, and the Pacers lost theirs in Ali’s presence. They hit just 11-of-40 shots in the first half, and shot less than 40 percent for the game. Fortunately Utah – which entered the game with a seven-game winning streak – was even worse, shooting 12-of-45 in the first half. The Pacers won, 89-74, and got another visit from Ali afterward.“What an emotional boost, to have him in our locker room,” Miller said. “He was doing magic tricks and shadow-boxing with guys. It was wonderful. We had to win in front of The Greatest.”"

It takes a unique person to turn professional athletes into starstruck fans, but he was known as the Greatest of All Time, after all.

As the news broke on Friday night, social media quickly reacted to Ali’s passing, including some current and former Indiana Pacers players and coaches.

Next: The State of the Indiana Pacers Roster

The world lost the greatest athlete of the 20th century on Friday night, and unfortunately, a better man.