Best Indiana Pacers Player from Auburn: Chuck Person
The fourth overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, Chuck Person wasted little time making an impact for the Pacers. He earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors after playing in all 82 games and averaging 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per contest.
Known for his shooting ability, he was nicknamed “The Rifleman” and averaged a career-high 21.6 points per game in 1988-89 along with 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. After six seasons in the Circle City, Person was traded to Minnesota.
He averaged 19 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over those six seasons with Indiana, significantly higher than his 13-year career averages. After his playing days, Person moved into coaching including a stop on the Pacers’ bench from 2005-2007.
In 2017, Person was involved in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Corruption Scandal while on the coaching staff at Auburn.
Best Indiana Pacers Player from Florida: Dwayne Schintzius
Drafted 24th overall by the Spurs in 1990, Dwayne Schintzius made his way to Indiana for the 1995-96 season after stops in Sacramento and New Jersey. Playing in just 33 games due to injuries, he averaged 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest.
Schintzius was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009 and later passed in 2012 at the age of 43.