11 Players you forgot played for the Indiana Pacers

James Jones started his classy career with the Pacers

Three-time NBA Champion James Jones. That’s an accurate descriptor for the now general manager of the Phoenix Suns. He’s also a former Indiana Pacers player.

In large part due to being a trusted role-playing piece of LeBron James-led teams in both Miami in Cleveland, Jones was able to “ride the coattails” of James and find himself with three rings by the time he retired as a player.

Now, he’s trying to navigate troubled waters in Phoenix as general manager and looking to turn that organization around after years of dysfunction.

Jones never averaged more than 23 minutes per game or 9.3 points per game in any given season, but managed to carve out a lengthy 14-year playing career. Most players with stats similar to Jones fizzle out of the league after a few short seasons, but clearly, Jones is a people person and a great teammate.

LeBron James said Jones is his favorite player of all-time.

Other teammates would reveal that James was a close friend, a confidant, a trusted listening ear and conversationalist. Whether he would play a lot or a little, his mindset and attitude remained the same. He was consistent.

When James moved from Miami to Cleveland, Jones was one of the key pieces he wanted to land to help craft the culture element he had learned about in Miami and bring it to his hometown team.

Where did this extremely professional career start for Jones? Indiana.

Undoubtedly, Jones had been leaning into a professional mindset all his life and had mentors shaping him in his youngest years, but Jones saw firsthand how acting out can lead to a rocky career early on in his career during the Malice at the Palace, which happened in his sophomore season.

Drafted in the second round, Jones spent two years playing for the Pacers before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, going to Miami and Cleveland thereafter.

Though Jones isn’t known for being a Pacer, he kicked off a unique career in Indiana.