Why you should go to the Indiana Pacers final home game

Have you not had a chance to see the Pacers in person this season? It turns out that you are quickly running out of time. The Pacers are set to play their final home game this season on Friday night against the Detroit Pistons.

The game could decide some things in terms of lottery positioning, so from that standpoint it is a good idea to keep an eye on what is going on. But beyond that, Pacers fans should reflect on this season and what the franchise means to the state of Indiana.

The Pacers have a habit of having fan appreciation night every season with tomorrow being the night this year for the franchise to show some extra love to their fans.

And while it would be easy to let this game pass you by given there is nothing really to play for, that would be partially to miss the point of why we are all Pacers fans to begin with.

The Pacers are a small market team. Even in our best years we are going to struggle to compete with the biggest markets and names in the NBA. If fans only tune in to watch the Pacers in the good times, it may mean that we don’t have a professional basketball team in Indiana forever.

The Pacers are already one of the smaller markets in the NBA and take more money out of the revenue sharing in the league than nearly any other franchise. It is not beyond reason that the NBA team owners would be incentivized to see the Pacers in a larger market.

Don’t take the Pacers and what basketball means to the state of Indiana for granted.

Basketball is the lifeblood of Indiana, and the Pacers are a vital part of that story. In recent seasons fans have started to tail off going to the games and especially later in the season. But it’s good to sit back and reflect on why you are a fan and what you expect out of the Pacers. Because once the fans begin taking the Pacers for granted, they may not be able to see them anymore.