For me, there’s an easy choice who to talk about first.  Reggie Miller really did put this Pacers organization on the map.  During that playoff run against the New York Knicks, he put the state of Indiana on the map.   Those were the days of Hicks vs Knicks as people only thought about Indiana as that type of state.

Reggie was the ultimate fan favorite of fans around here since he did have such a great way of playing on the court.  He could carry the team when he needed to, but he did it with a playful attitude as well.  Who can forget after hitting a game winning shot and Reggie just jumping for joy right there in the middle of the court?  Or the famous choke sign to Spike Lee after bringing the Pacers back to beat the Knicks.  So many Reggie moments all resulting in a Hall of Fame career.

Speaking of Hall of Fame career for the Pacers, I have to bring up Rik Smits.  Here’s a guy who probably didn’t look to make this Pacers team much better.  But his size and ability did.  I’ll always remember the playoff run where everyone shaved their heads, and Smits had to get rid of his lovely locks.  He’s a guy that should have his number up in the rafters of Banker’s Life as one of the ultimate Pacers.

Another personal choice for me would be Chuck Person.  I loved his nickname as RifleMan.  He could hit a big shot from time to time, and even take a big shot on the other team.  Personal memory for me is when he got into a fight with someone on the Pistons team as one of my first games to attend watching the Pacers.  I didn’t know what was going on, expect Person had that Pistons player in some headlock.  Another guy that belongs up there in the rafters.

The Pacers were very lucky to have those three guys as part of their organization.  Sure it’s not the prestige of a team like the Celtics, where you could rattle off ten or more names. Or the Lakers, where you can start naming off names.  But this town of Indianapolis needed those high character people, which is what they were.  They brought something to the community as well as bringing their A game every night.

Who would be your top Indiana Pacers?

As long time Pacer fans, we remember what it was like. We remember the knots in our stomachs as we watched the end of another close game with anticipation. We remember the hostile crowds, intense defense and clutch baskets from Reggie and the boys.

Those feelings haven’t been felt here in Indianapolis ever since the brawl Detroit. Are those days on the horizon, or was this first week just a fluke?

The Pacers won two of their first three games of the season, and the one loss was a close one in San Antonio. The team looks different, it feels different, and the players seem to be buying in to playing together. They have already shown that they aren’t last year’s team, giving Pacers fans signs of optimism.

For the first time in a long time, the Pacers had a sellout crowd of 18,165 at Conseco Fieldhouse for the home opener against the 76ers on Saturday night. The crowd was into the game all night, and it was fueled by the play of their beloved franchise.

The steals, thunderous dunks and all-out hustle kept the fans cheering all the way until the final buzzer.

The team knows that if they want to win it will be up to the team, not one or two guys. Roy Hibbert said after Saturday night’s game: “We’re growing as a team. This is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve all felt connected as one.”

Roy also spoke about how the team is playing as a whole, and how things have changed for them as far as falling behind late in games; something they did way too many times last year.

“If a team makes a run, we don’t go into our individual play. We come together and play together. We figure out a way to win. The past two years we wouldn’t have been able to do that. Teams would have made their run and we would have laid down. This year we’re tougher.”

Roy hit the nail on the head, and they have almost completely reversed that trend that haunted them last season.

It is a telling sign of how the game will play out, as the first three games of this season are perfect examples. In the close game at San Antonio, they fell apart at the very end. In their two wins, they started the second half very hot, outscoring their opponents by double-figures in each of the third quarters.

The concern coming into this season were the two and four spots, as they were solid at the other three positions. Mike Dunleavy and Paul George have played very well in the first three games, while Josh McRoberts and Tyler Hansbrough have also both been very good through the first week.

Tyler didn’t play in the first game of the season against the Spurs, but he has been a key factor in both of the Pacers’ wins this year.

There has been a lot of emotion from these Pacers, most of which came in the win at home on Saturday night. Bodies were flying everywhere, everyone on the team was taking charges and going after loose balls.

After Darren Collison stole a pass, he finished with a dunk and was fouled. He pumped his chest as the crowd rose to their feet. The next possession he got another steal, but before he could get to the basket, he was fouled as he threw a behind the back pass.

He once again rose his arms to the crowd, as Conseco Fieldhouse grew loud for the first time in years.

Roy Hibbert actually had a little too much emotion at one point during the game. He took a charge, got up clapping his hands and was called for a technical foul.

It was a terrible call, but it is what it is. Roy even said as much after the game. “That’s okay, I’ll write my check and it’ll be fine,” he said with a smile. “We won the game. That’s what counts.”

Wow, Roy Hibbert is quickly becoming the true face of this franchise with his play on the court, his words off-the-court and his offseason workouts.

Most of the glory days for the Pacers in the NBA came at Market Square Arena, their home before Conseco Fieldhouse was built. The fans haven’t been this excited probably since they made the move to their new home.

Of course, there is no more Reggie, Smits, Mark Jackson or either of the Davis brothers, but the look and feel of this team is similar. The playing style is very different, but the way they have been conducting themselves is something fans are happy to see…finally.

There are still 79 more games to be played, but if the Pacers keep playing with the same fire and intensity, the fans will keep showing up and the building will be loud.

The Pacers motto last season was, “Ignite the passion, restore the pride.”

Perhaps both of these things look like they are finally happening. Sure the teams are excited to get on the floor and play some basketball, but as the season progresses, some guys might lose interest and injuries can always play a factor into a team’s plans.

The second part, restore the pride, is something that we have missed here in Indy for the last six or seven years. Many of the guys on this team don’t really know much about the Pacers history, though.

Darren Collison, for example, said this after Saturday night’s victory: “Jeff Foster has told me what it used to be like around here. The goal now is to bring that back.”

If Darren, Roy and Danny have anything to say about it, the Pacers future looks bright again.