How to Collect | The Indiana Pacers

Collecting Legends of the Hoosier State

The Hoosier State, Indiana is something of a spiritual home for the sport of basketball. From the high school level all the way to the pros, this place simply cannot get enough of the game. Indiana’s Pacers are an institution here, from the first days that turned into a dynasty, to Miller Time, to a run to the Finals in 2025.

A brilliant basketball story with a loyal fanbase, let’s look at some ways that you can chase the Indiana Pacers. 

Indiana Pacers Mount Rushmore

For the Pacers, Mount Rushmore includes stars of the ’70s, a fearless competitor with a jump shot for the ages, and a six-time All-Star.

1972 Topps Basketball #183 George McGinnis RC

1993 Finest Basketball #106 Reggie Miller Refractor

1971 Topps Basketball #195 Mel Daniels RC

1996 Topps Chrome Basketball #191 Jermaine O’Neal RC

An Early Dynasty

Indiana joined the NBA in the ABA/NBA merger in 1975, having already established a dynasty. From 1970-1973, the team won three ABA titles. Mel Daniels and George McGinnis were the team’s early stars, and both are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Vintage offerings of both are a phenomenal way to capture Indiana’s championship era.

This fun 1972 triple card features Daniels, a two-time ABA MVP, alongside Chicago star Artis Gilmore and NBA legend Dr. J. All three would go on to great NBA careers after 1975, but this is a wonderful way to commemorate their roles in bringing the ABA to prominence. Their talent was a key draw for the merger itself, with the NBA wanting to bring the best together to compete.

In addition to Daniels and McGinnis, Roger Brown and Freddie Lewis are great vintage options of the era. Brown led the 1970 ABA Finals with 32.7 PPG, while Lewis led the team in the 1972 Finals with 22.8 PPG.

Reggie Time

The ’90s saw the rise of the Pacers into the NBA elite, led by spectacular shot-maker Reggie Miller. Starting in 1989/90, Miller and the Pacers made the playoffs in 15 of 16 seasons. 

While the Pacers did make an NBA Finals, going up against peak Shaq & Kobe in 2000, the team is probably best remembered for many classic Eastern Conference battles, particularly with the big-city rival New York Knicks. 

Miller was a monster at MSG, tormenting the Knicks with his audacious play and ability to get hotter than anyone on the floor. From ‘Eight Points in Nine Seconds’ to trash-talking with Spike Lee and hitting the Garden with a Choke sign, to antagonizing the crowd from the broadcast booth today, he remains a great sporting nemesis in the Big Apple. 

In Miller’s prime, the team made five conference finals in a seven-year span. Indiana faced the Knicks six times in the playoffs in eight years, going 3-3 in arguably the defining rivalry of the time.

The Dunking Dutchman Rik Smits, whose 1993 Topps Finest Refractor sold for over $500 in September 2025, as well as the likes of Mark Jackson, the Davis Brothers Antonio and Dale, and Jalen Rose are among the names to chase when building a collection around this incredible era of Pacers basketball.

Reloading, not Rebuilding

As Reggie Miller’s career began to wind down, he would help the franchise transition quickly into a new powerhouse. Built around hard-nosed competitors like Jermaine O’Neal and DPOY Metta Sandiford-Artest (formerly Ron Artest), Indiana won a franchise-record 61 games in 2003/04. 

The Pacers were once again part of an Eastern Conference Finals battle, this time against another elite defense in Detroit.

The hard-fought series went six games. How hard were buckets to come by? The Game Six Pistons win ended 69-65. O’Neal, Artest, and longtime point guard Jamaal Tinsley are all key adds for a Pacers team collection.

No Cinderella Story

Indiana’s next contender was built around nine-time All-Star Paul George, making back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals against LeBron and the Heatles. George, Hibbert, Lance Stephenson, George Hill, and David West were a fantastic starting group that took the Heat to seven in 2013, before losing a tough 2014 battle in six.

Just over a decade later, Indiana went one better, heading to the 2025 NBA Finals after making it to the ECF the year before. With the fourth seed in the East, the titanic efforts of clutch superstar Tyrese Haliburton helped Indiana obliterate its competition on the way to the Finals.

With a 12-4 record leaping up to the Finals, punctuated by incredible comebacks and a beautiful brand of basketball, this was no Cinderella Story. The Pacers simply outplayed the conference. Haliburton was injured during a valiant effort put forth by the team in the Finals against OKC, but the Pacers look to be contenders for a while yet.

Capturing History Your Way

The Indiana Pacers have become one of the most enduringly competitive franchises in the league. Known for a loyal fanbase and a culture of winning, this well-run organization has treated the Hoosier State to legendary players, legendary moments, and legendary personalities.

The story of the Pacers is full of compelling options when it comes to building your own personal team collection.  

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