19. Freddie Lewis
A mainstay for the Pacers in the 60s and 70s, Freddie Lewis was a part of all three Indiana teams that won ABA championships during that time. Lewis’ excellent play in the backcourt for Indiana helped propel the team to victory on a regular basis and was a huge reason the Pacers were able to turn into somewhat of an ABA dynasty.
Thanks to Lewis’ consistent high level of play, he became the only player in basketball history to begin his playing days in the NBA, join the ABA for the entirety of its existence, and then return to the NBA after the NBA/ABA merger of 1976.
While he played for the ABA Pacers, Lewis made 3 all-star teams. He was a 20 points per game scorer twice for Indiana, was a solid distributor, and was also a very good rebounder despite his 6-foot-nothing frame with a career-high 5.8 rebounds per game in his sophomore season.
Some of these ABA guys can sometimes fly under the radar in terms of all-time greats discussions, but Lewis is definitely deserving of the Top 20 for the Indiana Pacers.