Former Indiana Pacers big man Al Jefferson takes in Pacers practice as an observer

As the Indiana Pacers wrapped up practice at the Ascension St Vincent Center on Thursday, a familiar face lingered. On the far end of the gym, former NBA big man Al Jefferson was looking on.

Jefferson, now 38, was in the NBA for 14 seasons. He spent the final two of them with the Pacers, and he was teammates with current Indiana center Myles Turner for both of them. Jefferson was standing under a basket that Turner and rookies Jarace Walker and Oscar Tshiebwe were getting in work on.

In the past, Jefferson has expressed interest in getting into coaching. But on this day, he was just an invited observer. During his tenure with Indiana, he was a key veteran for Turner and Domantas Sabonis.

His skillset was a throwback as he dominated down low. His footwork was always excellent, and he passed that down as much as he could.

Pacers-Sixers gameday means it’s time to unearth the best play of the 2017-18 season.

Joel Embiid, meet Al Jefferson: pic.twitter.com/eZo8Yd1l2y
— Tony East (@TonyREast) November 7, 2018

Jefferson made third-team All-NBA in 2013-14 alongside Pacers forward Paul George. He averaged nearly 22 points and 11 rebounds per game that season for the Charlotte Bobcats.

"Mr Right Hand Jumphook Himself! ✋🏾," Turner tweeted about Jefferson being at practice.

For the blue and gold, Jefferson averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He made 102 appearances for the franchise, and both of his seasons in Indiana ended with a playoff berth.

He retired from playing basketball officially in 2019, but the big man remained around the game via Big3. Perhaps his next hoops chapter could be in coaching. His skills in that department had a lasting impact on the Pacers already.

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