Q&A with Pacers Global Design and Product Director Jas Bell On New Gig, Flo-Jo's Influence, More

Last month, Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced it had agreed to a multi-year partnership with designer and creative strategist Jas Bell, naming him global design and product director.

"Jas has a remarkable ability to create products and experiences that connect culture, storytelling and fandom," said Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Pacers Sports & Entertainment Joey Graziano.

"As we continue evolving into a global sports and entertainment company, we're investing in merchandise as an extension of our brands and one of the most meaningful ways fans connect with our teams. We're excited for Jas to help us create bespoke, high-heat products that celebrate our teams, our city and our fans while reaching audiences around the world."

The partnership allows the organization to continue expanding its footprint within the premium merchandise industry, which also allows fans to connect with both the Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers brands on a global scale.

A distinguished creative director, Bell, has contributed to the visual branding of many globally iconic artists, athletes, and enterprises.

"As a kid from the Midwest, this partnership is incredibly close to my heart," Bell said. "Stepping into this space isn't just a job; it's a profound responsibility to the Pacers, the Fever and the culture. The Pacers and the Fever both represent incredible energy right now, and my vision is to translate that momentum into a movement through design and product."

In his latest role, he served as art director for Grammy Award-winning artist SZA, managing merchandise, brand partnerships, and visual storytelling, which revolutionized the contemporary artist merchandise experience.

Bell was also instrumental in the Indiana Fever's Stranger Things collaboration, which secured a Silver Clio Sports Award for its inventive methods in fan engagement and merchandise promotion.

With the addition of Bell, PS&E is continuing to invest and expand its in-house merchandise business.

According to NBA.com, the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever generate some of the highest gameday sales in professional basketball and PS&E is one of the couple of companies in the business that actually manages and controls its own retail, product development, and team store operation under one entity. Bell will be tasked with spearheading the creation of a premium and limited-edition collection to present to Fever and Pacers Nation all over the world.

This partnership between Bell, who professionally goes by Leonardo Chop, will create a limited-edition collection that will be debuted when the Pacers make an appearance in Mexico City later this year. The event will feature community activations, franchise milestones, and retail experiences.

"We've already seen firsthand what Jas can create through the Fever's award-winning Stranger Things collaboration," said PS&E Senior Vice President of Retail and Merchandising Lauren Roa. "His ability to blend storytelling, culture and product is unlike anything we've seen. Together, we're creating collections that celebrate our teams and elevate what sports merchandise can be."

Bell’s other career accomplishments include, but are not limited to, working with fellow St. Louis native and mega producer Metro Boomin, Super Bowl merchandise programs, professional sports organizations, and some of the most marquee names in music and entertainment today.

Bell recently sat down with Pacers on SI to discuss his new role as the global design and product director with the Indiana Pacers. He also spoke about how track and field legend turned fashion icon and designer Florence Griffith-Joyner inspired his design creativity and about following in her footsteps with the Indiana Pacers.

Mar 29, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) in the second half against the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The full question and answer can be seen below.

1. M.usicians tend to test ideas live, in front of a crowd, before committing them. Is there a version of that same real-time feedback loop in how you develop merchandise for Pacers and Fever.

Yeah, man, so I think one of the dope things is that I like to wear product before I test it, or wear ideas before I test it. Even some of the stuff that we did — my initial gifts to the team, to the Fever, were this collection of items called Fever Girls. Kelsey Mitchell has worn some pieces, AB (Aliyah Boston) has worn some pieces, Raven ( Johnson) has worn some, and the reaction that people had immediately let me know that they love and respect the design vein. So now I'm able to lean more into that vein and give the fans those pieces that they see the girls have on.

That's one of the things I learned from P (Pharrell Williams) as well — just how he would wear a lot of those early BBC colors, a lot of that early Bape stuff from Nigo. They would wear it for three, four, five, six months straight, so people would be like, 'Man, when is it coming out?' I think that's like a cheat code, because as much as people are into the design style, a lot of times they're into the people behind it.

That's why I loved when Kelsey put the Fever Girl jersey on it. It let me know that the fans are not only going to buy into the design, but they're going to buy into the people who are wearing it. Being able to drop those exclusives, those one-off pieces, is a great way to build momentum and show people a sneak peek of what we'll be giving the fans.”

2. If Virgil were sitting courtside at a Fever game today, what do you think he'd tell you to change?

Man, that's a good question. Honestly, I don't know if he would tell me to change anything. I think he would tell me to reinvent things, which is what I'm doing a lot with a lot of the things that I'm working on now. Of course, introducing some new things. But I think, from his perspective and the way that he designed, he would tell me to really go in and reinvent some things and see him through a different lens.

3. Florence Griffith-Joyner turned athletic performance into a full visual statement — the nails, the one-legged suits, the color. What does she teach you about designing for women's sports that you don't think anyone else fully understood?

Man, Flo-Jo is the GOAT. Even if you look in the W today, you see the one-legged sleeves, that's all from her inception. I think what she taught me is to just be yourself and express yourself fully. The nails, but even some of the illest windbreakers and track suits, I think that should be brought back in the W.

I think the W is a unique league where individuality is a strong suit, and she was one of the leaders in that. So, she's always on my mood board when I'm creating. Even outside of the W, her style and her influence still very much live today. You can see it in the W today.

4. Flo-Jo built an image that was unmistakably hers inside a sport that didn't always make room for individual style. How do you help a Fever player do the same thing without flattening her into a 'brand'?

Yeah, to be honest with you, I think our Fever squad doesn’t need any help with that. Me and Raven were just texting back and forth, and she was in Vegas shopping at LV and Balenciaga. Caitlin, of course, is always coming Prada down all the time, and she's got her own sense of style that very much fits her and is striking. I think Aaliyah is the same way. What I love about our team is that we each have our own unique styles and style voices, and I think they all execute them very well. Mo (Monique Billings) is Super Fly, Kelsey ( Mitchell) is as well. So, I think they've all got their individual style, and I don't think they need any help with that whatsoever.

5. Flo-Jo actually designed the Pacers' uniforms back in 1989 — an intern's pitch, a press conference where she promised 'no one-leggers or lace,' and a V-neck, longer-short look that fans still call 'the Flo-Jo's' today. Now you're the outside creative voice reshaping how Indiana looks. What do you take from her having walked that exact path decades before you?

Well, that's interesting because even as I was going back and forth about taking this role, she was somebody who I really studied. Just her roots in Indiana, but also her being really one of the first design directors, in a way. So, I always consider her, and I think about her style and the way she viewed things whenever I'm approaching anything, especially with the W.

But yeah, I've hunted down, I have a folder which is inspiration. I hunted down those initial images of the jersey that she wanted to create. I hunted all that stuff down and studied it. So, I think that she stays constant in my mind whenever I'm thinking about design, especially for the Fever and the Pacers. Especially

6. Is there a single Flo-Jo image or moment you keep coming back to when you're trying to solve a design problem for the Fever?

She has so many good ones. I don't think about a specific style, I think about her aesthetic! So, I think more about her aesthetic and her silhouette, what she's like, what the nails speak to, what the one-legged uniform speaks to, what the color speaks to. I think she's bigger than One Piece. There are too many iconic ones for me to single out one and say, 'Oh yeah, that's the one.' She's too much of an icon.

7. Is there a specific technique or instinct from music video and album-era art direction that you've quietly imported into a Pacers or Fever product without anyone noticing?

Yeah, for sure. Some of the new stuff we've got coming up will convey that, and I'm excited for people to see that. With a lot of the Fever Girl stuff that I gave the team, it's based around it being like a tour that they're on. A lot of the tees say, 'Fever Girls Tour,' and it's this vintage, distressed, washed-out graphic, and on the back of it is all the game dates, but they're lined up as tour dates. So, I've been implementing that because, again, I think those worlds merge. I've definitely implemented that, and I'm gonna keep doing it too. It's working, so you might as well.

8. You've talked about wanting Fever and Pacers product to function as cultural artifacts, not just team gear. What's the test you use to know when a piece has crossed that line?

I think it's hard because only time will tell. It's interesting even with a lot of the stuff I would do with SZA, or with Metro, or other projects I worked on, like some stuff for the Lakers and TDE—the one that hits is never the one I think is going to be. You never know. I think time will tell. I know we've got some really dope stuff, and we're working on more, and I know that with the stories we're going to tell with some of these products, they'll be classics by themselves. But as far as things developing their own story and life of their own, only time will tell.

9. The Fever and Pacers reportedly share only about 5% crossover in their fan bases. How do you design two distinct worlds under one roof without one brand quietly borrowing too much from the other?

I think that my time with SZA has really helped with being able to design with her, but also having to go do things with Metro, or with Party of Two, or with a clothing label. It's about making sure you give all the care to the identity of that brand. I know they have a 5% crossover, but I want to grow that, because that was my thing—even with SZA, I want guys to wear the product and the merch just as much as the ladies do.

So, I think from a design side, what I want to do is make the design so undeniably good that if you're a Patience fan, you're going to rock the Fever stuff, and if you're a Fever fan, you're going to rock the Pacers stuff, and understand that you're supporting one family. But they both have distinct design views that'll be executed through product.

10. You've said you design better when your heart is genuinely attached to something. Was there a moment early in this role when Indiana clicked for you personally, beyond the job itself?

It was when I helped design the Stranger Things capsule, and I was able to come out and really meet the front office and meet some of the players. Me and Sophie [Cunningham] clicked immediately when I met her—she was super cool. Just being there, having that hometown feel... I'm a Midwest kid anyway, so I was super close to home, and it felt like my city. I even said back then, I was telling people, 'Man, I'm gonna end up doing something major with the Fever and the Pacers'—and here we are. It just felt like it was where I needed to be.

11. The Stranger Things collaboration sold out and picked up a Silver Clio. What did that project prove to you was possible that you're now trying to repeat at a bigger scale?

So, what it showed me is that people's interest and influence in pop culture doesn't stop at the doors into the arena. People take those things in with them; they want something they can resonate with when they leave the game. I think what it also taught me, what it showed me, is that we can build out these worlds and merge these worlds, and people are still very much attached to what we're doing and believe in what we're doing. That collection was really the test to prove a lot of the theories I had about being able to bring the fever culture up as far as cultural impact. It really showed that we can do some things now, because of the success of that, I mean, it was one of the best-selling collections in the Fever's history. So, to me, that spoke volumes.

Obi Tobbin — Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) goes for a rebound against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

12. Five years from now, if a stranger in Paris, Tokyo, or Lagos is wearing Pacers or Fever gear, what do you want that piece to say about Indiana that a jersey never could?

We're a global brand, and our style lens is from a global place as well. Whenever you wear anything Indiana Fever or Pacers, you can feel like you're repping the town, but you can also feel like it's fly enough for you to wear anywhere else. It should fit in your closet right along with your other favorite shirt, favorite hoodie, or favorite accessory. It should fit right in line because from a design standpoint, it'll be on that level.

13. Is there going to be a time where, maybe once a month, you partner with either a Pacers player or a Fever player and do a collection based on their specific style?

I have played with that idea, and I think it's genius, actually. The more I weave in some of the stuff we're working on, I think there's definitely space for us to do something like that—because each of the players has their own set of fans. Just as much as they're part of a collective, like the Fever or the Pacers, people have specific jerseys they like to buy. So, I think it would be a great idea to reflect some of the players' individual style into a product, maybe a small capsule collection or something like that. I definitely think we can do something like that down the line.

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