Indiana Pacers legend George McGinnis passes away at 73
The Indiana Pacers shared on Thursday that franchise legend and Hall Of Famer George McGinnis has passed away at the age of 73.
McGinnis played basketball at the high school and collegiate level in Indiana. He attended Washington High School in Indianapolis before spending one playing year with the Hoosiers at Indiana University. He is a legendary basketball player in the state.
He began his professional career with the Pacers when they were in the American Basketball Association (ABA). In his first two seasons with the franchise, they won the ABA Championship. McGinnis was an All-Star in this second, third, and fourth campaign with the ABA Pacers. The franchise may not be in the NBA today if it wasn't for McGinnis.
He averaged more than 25 points per game in the ABA, finishing off his time in the league with a co-MVP award in 1975. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA the following season. After a few All-Star campaigns in the NBA, he returned to the Pacers after they had moved leagues.
"He meant so much not only to IU and the state of Indiana, but to the entire basketball world," Indiana Basketball head coach Mike Woodson said of McGinnis in a statement.
McGinnis entered the Hall Of Fame in 2017. His number 30 uniform hangs in the rafters of Gainbridge Fieldhouse and is retired by the Pacers franchise. He is an icon in Indiana.
In total, he spent seven seasons donning a Pacers uniform, and he averaged nearly 20 points per game for the organization. The 1969 Mr. Basketball winner succumbed to complications from a cardiac arrest suffered last week at his home, according to the team.
"From his all-state high school days to his time as an IU All-American and, of course, to his legendary ABA championship runs with the Pacers, George McGinnis shaped so many of the fondest basketball memories for generations of Hoosiers. He was the very definition of an Indiana basketball legend, a champion, and Hall of Fame athlete. But he was more than that. George was family. A passionate advocate for his fellow ABA players and a present, smiling face around the franchise, George has been as synonymous with our Pacers franchise as anyone. He will be greatly missed, and all of us at Pacers Sports & Entertainment will keep George and his family in our prayers," said the Simon Family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment in a statement.
There will be a celebration of life to honor McGinnis in 2024.
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