The Pacers begin anew tonight tipping off their preseason home opener at The Pepsi Coliseum, a house that has welcomed Mel Daniels, George McGinnis, Roger Brown, Slick Leonard, Connie Hawkins, Rick Barry, Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin and hoisted 3 ABA Titles. Larry Bird is actually carrying the torch of another bird... Bill Byrd. Now 62 and designing websites, IndyStar relives the past with him some 30+ years ago. Here's a nice excerpt...
After the 1973 season, the ABA champion Pacers played the NBA champion Knicks at a time when the leagues were competing for players. The Knicks of Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley won the NBA title, beating the Los Angeles Lakers with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
"The Knicks came into town the night before and we had a little event, and Bill Bradley got up and kind of made fun of Indianapolis and the Pacers. The night of the game, Roger Brown said, 'Let me have Bradley.' "Roger hit him with 26 points in the first half and by the end of the third quarter, we had them down 17." The Pacers won and moved into Market Square Arena for the '74-'75 season. By 1976, the ABA and NBA had finally merged.
