For the first time in 15 years, Indianapolis is a basketball city

The Indiana Pacers season ended earlier than fans might have hoped. However, this year’s team has captivated fans throughout the state. Finally, for the first time in more than a decade, Indianapolis is a basketball city once again.

The Indianapolis sports landscape completed its transformation on a frigid winter night in February 2007.

The world champion Indianapolis Colts were parading through the circle city streets holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy high as only victors could. Fans braved sub-zero temperatures to line the streets and welcome home Indianapolis’ first professional championship in over 30 years.

“You’re always going to have Indiana basketball … but this is a football town now,” said Peyton Manning of Indianapolis in the 2007 documentary America’s Game.

That’s when the pendulum, representing Indianapolis’s sports fandom, had completed its swing. Come February 2007, Indianapolis was firmly a football city. However, Naptown’s football love affair began with hail mary in Auburn Hills, Michigan three years earlier.

A pendulum swing my way

It all began with an ill-advised toss late in the fourth quarter of an Indiana — Detroit game in November 2004. No, the pass was not part of a heroic Manning-led comeback; it came from a spectator during a Pacers-Pistons matchup.

Beer doused Ron Artest when the plastic cup completed its 20-yard journey, and the Malice at the Palace truly began. The dismal brawl incited an unprecedented shift in Indianapolis’ sports identity.

From the mid-2000s to 2017, the Indiana Pacers had to sit in solace and listen to their neighbors at the west end of Georgia street blast Baba O’Riley and sing their championship praises.

Hoosiers balked at the Pacers off-court antics and embraced Peyton Manning’s Colts. In the Colts 2006 championship run, average regular season attendance was 57,144; consistently selling out the RCA Dome. The 2006 Pacers squeaked by on filling 85% of Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indianapolis remained a Colts frenzied city for the better part of 15 years. From the historic highs of 2006 Super Bowl champions to the headache-inducing Ryan Grigson-Chuck Pagano years; Indianapolis sports fans had their team.

Bad romance

Starting in 2011, the Pacers began to make a name for themselves. Frank Vogel took the reigns from Jim O’Brien in early 2011. The Vogel led teams were hard-nosed winners. The “Blue Collar, Gold Swagger,” era won 58% of its games, yielding two Eastern Conference finals appearances.

However, no matter how well the Pacers played on the court from 2005-2016, fans struggled to embrace the team like the Colts.

In January 2017, the Indiana Pacers struggled to forge an identity. Hoosiers watched as the Paul George led team stumbled to a 22-22 record. After losing to the sub-par New York Knicks, Indiana fans booed the Pacers on their way off the floor.

George aired his frustration to the media after the game.

"“That’s Indy in general. We’ve been No. 1 in the East (in 2014) and lost a game at home and got booed. That’s just Indiana.” – Paul George"

After the season, the Pacers traded Paul George to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Widely panned at the time, the trade ended up being a catalyst for a dramatic transformation in the Indianapolis sports landscape.

The pendulum began swinging from Lucas Oil Stadium to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Our city

The world ruled out the 2017-18 Pacers from accomplishing anything before the season began. Critics panned the Victor Oladipo trade, experts doubted the team could win 30 games, and talk of tanking filled the midwestern air.

No one believed in the Pacers except themselves. In September, Myles Turner expressed his belief in the new look team:

“The energy is just so much different in the building. It’s so much more positive … guys have to go out there and prove themselves, have a chip on their shoulder every day,” said Turner.

Prove themselves they did. The 2017-18 Indiana Pacers endeared the hearts of Hoosiers with resiliency, abundant chemistry, and never-quit mentality. Victor Oladipo set the tone for the season in October when he hit a game-winning three-pointer to lift the Pacers over the San Antonio Spurs.

Oladipo, fueled by adrenaline and passion, marched down the court, pointed to the court and shouted, “This is my city!” The symbolism of a hero coming home to stake his claim as the rightful heir of the blue and gold throne is crystal clear.

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Oladipo’s one-off gesture became a mantra for the Pacers and fans alike. One simple motion sparked a movement in the city of Indianapolis.

This city, this state, has yearned for an Indiana Pacers play to embrace their love of basketball since Reggie Miller retired in 2005.

The “Blue Collar, Gold Swagger” era came close to filling that void, but shaky chemistry, an untimely injury, and LeBron James stunted that relationship.

The George led Pacers oozed talent and demanded the respect of the fans and national media. Oladipo’s Pacers are supremely talented yet demanded nothing.

This team earned Hoosier’s respect, and the fans reciprocated the on-court triumphs with adoration, local buzz, and a raucous home-court advantage.

Stronger together

Wins or losses will not define the 2017-18 Indiana Pacers season. This team is likely defined by a single moment from a regular season game in the doldrums of the NBA calendar.

Four teammates sprinting down the court to help their brother-in-arms to his feet is the kind of moment basketball fans dreams about. Nay, it’s the type of moment Hoosiers dream of.

“Together” was the battle cry of the 2018 Pacers playoffs but it’s indicative of an underlying truth about Indiana sports; the city of Indianapolis and Pacers basketball are stronger together.

This year’s team is extraordinary. Their resiliency, chemistry, and belief in one another created an aura that fans could feel in the bones. The 2017-18 season isn’t about wins or losses but about uniting a city and state through basketball.

When the final buzzer sounded on the Indiana Pacers season, the pendulum had finally swung back towards Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Next: What's a season is worth if you don't win a title?

Finally, after nearly 15 years, Indianapolis is a basketball city once again.