Pacers Podcast: Recent Episodes
Scott Agness
The Pacers’ season ended in disappointing fashion, a 4-0 sweep to the Celtics in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. Ten days after their final game of the season, president Kevin Pritchard and head coach Nate McMillan met with the media to discuss their year, mostly without star Victor Oladipo, and what sets up to...
BOSTON — The Pacers dropped Game 1 in Boston, 84-74. The third quarter, in which they missed 17 of 19 shots and scored only eight points, was their worst single quarter in franchise playoff history. They managed just 29 points in the second half – a total of 24 minutes. Not good. So that’s what...
The Pacers Podcast is back, right in time for the 2019 NBA postseason. They finished the season with a record identical to last season, 48-34, and they did it despite two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo only appearing in 36 games. So, the Pacers are the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and are matched up...
Before Victor Oladipo was traded during the 2017 offseason, he was already two months into his offseason program. And for the first time, he completed it down in Miami at DBC Fitness with David Alexander. On the suggestion from Dwyane Wade, Oladipo worked out five days a week with the sports performance trainer who trains...
Myles Turner spent the majority of the offseason down in Texas. It was home, away from distractions, and allowed for him to focus on himself. He was preparing for the final year of his rookie deal — and later reached agreement with the Pacers on a four-year extension that guaranteed him $72 million. But before...
Gordon Hayward’s last year has not been easy. Next Tuesday, Oct. 17, is the one-year anniversary of his unlucky fall in Cleveland that resulted in a broken left tibia and dislocated ankle. Jason Smeathers is Hayward’s friend and skills trainer, and has been with him for most of the last year. In Boston. In Miami. In...
Now that the first season of the NBA 2K League is complete, it’s a good time to take a look back at the year for Pacers Gaming. They went 5-9 and finish 13th in a 17-team league that will expand to 21 teams for Year 2. I recently visited the headquarters of Pacers Gaming, the...
It’s time for another Pacers Podcast! On this podcast, I’ll discuss my new job. Yeah … you read that correctly. You may know about it by now — and surely you have since I no longer write about the Pacers here on VigilantSports.com — but last month I officially joined The Athletic as their Pacers writer....
Former UCLA coach David Grace joins the Pacers Podcast to discuss the three recent draft picks out of UCLA.
Joe Young, the Pacers’ second-round pick in 2015, has found a new team. The 26-year-old guard has agreed to a one-year deal with the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), Young told VigilantSports.com. “Got things finalized and just truly honored about this opportunity,” Young said. “Great team, great coach. I heard a...
What was the feeling in Croatia when they played in the FIFA World Cup Final over the weekend? I had to find out. On this episode of the Pacers Podcast, I called up former Pacer forward Damjan Rudež, a native of Zagreb, Croatia. While he’s not a huge soccer fan, the monthlong run by Croatia, with a...
Final preparations are underway at the St. Vincent Center in downtown Indianapolis as a dozen or so in player evaluation push to gather additional intel on players and who teams ahead of the Pacers may draft. After going 48-34 and losing a four-way tiebreaker to decide the draft order, the Pacers will select 23rd and...
Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo will drive the 2019 Chevrolet pace car to start Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. He’s the first active Indianapolis athlete and just the third non-racing athlete to be given that honor. Oladipo is arriving in Indianapolis on Friday and will get his first chance behind the ZR1 Pace Car. Chevrolet flew in Ron...
Dave McMenamin is on the Cleveland Cavaliers beat, covering all things LeBron James and the Cavs for ESPN. The Pacers’ first-round series begins in Cleveland where they’ll try to beat LeBron James in the playoffs for the first time. He’s ended their postseason run in five of the last seven years. The Pacers, meanwhile, are...
When there is something going on with the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Slater is one of the best sources for information and context. He’s in his fifth season covering the NBA and his second on the Warriors beat. His first three seasons, beginning in 2013, were in Oklahoma City documenting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and all...
The Pacers are 46-31, a season-best 15 games over .500 with five to play. They’re flirting with their second 50-win season since 2004 and have spent all season flying under the radar. Because of that, they have appeared on national TV just once — and that was for Paul George’s return. So Chris Denari and...
The Pacers secured a playoff spot Sunday in Game 74 of the season. They beat the Miami Heat 113-107 getting contributions across the roster. It was a microcosm for their entire season. In the media room hours after the Pacers’ 43rd win of the season, surpassing last year’s total (42-40), Mark Montieth joined me to...
Seeking depth at power forward, the Pacers added veteran free agent Trevor Booker to their roster officially on March 3. After the Pacers concluded a four-game road trip, Booker watched the team beat Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back before practicing with the guys for the first time. “He’s first and foremost a...
David Benner is in his 24th season as the Director of Media Relations for the Indiana Pacers. He’s the primary contact between the media and the team. Benner, however, has been both sides. He spent 16 years as a writer for the Indianapolis Star, including eight years covering the Pacers. He moved over to his...
It will be eight weeks on Friday, March 2 since Slick Leonard, alone in his church’s parking lot, slipped on ice when unloading boxes to recycle. He forgot to put his car in park, slipped, and shattered the trochanter in one of his hips and says the pain has been “a monster.” Slick was admitted to...
Kurt Streblow is in his fifth season as an emcee for Pacers home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. This past week, he was invited to emcee several events at All-Star Weekend 2018 held in Los Angeles. Streblow credits Pacers Vice President of Game Operations Dean Heaviland for not only hiring him years ago, but for...
Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard spoke with the media for more than 25 minutes Sunday afternoon before they hosted the New York Knicks. Among the items discussed: Many players urging the front office to keep this group intact How they had three legitimate trade offers at the deadline Victor Oladipo exceeding all expectations...
Edmond Sumner’s rookie season has been anything but typical for a first-year player in professional basketball. He suffered a torn ACL last year while at Xavier University, so most of 2017 was spent rehabbing and getting through the mental challenges of being away from the game he loves. The Pacers acquired a second second-round pick...
Victor Oladipo’s phone buzzed Tuesday. It was Pacers President Kevin Pritchard, the executive who orchestrated the move that brought Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indy last summer. He had the honor of alerting Oladipo that he was voted an All-Star reserve by NBA head coaches. For the first time in his five years as a...
Damien Wilkins was released by the Pacers one week ago, just before his contract became guaranteed for the rest of the season. What he did, earning a roster spot, and the impact he was able to have with the Pacers in a little more than four months was special. Here’s a sample from starting center...
Damien Wilkins knew his fate by 2:00 pm on Saturday, five hours before the Pacers faced the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. What he didn’t know was that he would start in his final game with the team. Bojan Bogdanovic was a late scratch due to a sprained left ankle and head coach Nate...
Jason Lloyd is one of three beat reporters covering the Cleveland Cavaliers each day. Wherever they are, he is there as well writing the story of the day or an in-depth feature. The Cavaliers, of course, are home to LeBron James, the best athlete in the world — meaning whatever James says will make headlines...
Hosting a second NBA All-Star game has been years in the making for city and Indiana Pacers officials alike. They’ve sent many representatives to the last several All-Star Weekends, Toronto in 2016 and New Orleans in 2017. With the support of owner Herb Simon, the city submitted its bid in style — Larry Bird rode...
Paul George is back in Indianapolis and tonight will sit on the opposing bench for the first time. The Pacers (16-11), winners of four in a row, host the 12-14 Oklahoma City Thunder, who have yet to hit their stride this season. This will be George’s first game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse since informing Pacers...
Scot Pollard played in the NBA for five teams over 11 seasons, spanning 1997 through 2008. In his final season, he won a NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. Pollard, 42, lives in Indianapolis and has had no trouble filling the void that is left after basketball. He has dabbled in comedy and will soon...
Kelli Towles is in her 24th year with the Indiana Pacers heading up the community relations department. She is in charge of community outreach, and involving the players to positively impact Central Indiana. There are NBA initiatives, such as Jr. NBA Week and Hoops For Troops, and then there are dozen of events unique to...
This is part II of my conversation with Mark Montieth, who has covered the Indiana Pacers for several decades. [Part I – On the Pacers’ encouraging start to the 2017-18 season] Mark recently published “Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis” — and it’s a book I recommend for hoops fans...
The Pacers are off to a 5-3 start, winners in three consecutive games. They posted wins over San Antonio and Cleveland this week, and newcomer Victor Oladipo was rewarded for his impressive start with the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. Mark Montieth has been on the Pacers’ beat for more than a...
Reunion week continues for the Pacers. On the second night of back-to-back – after handling the Minnesota Timberwolves (with Jeff Teague and Aaron Brooks) – the Pacers should be fired up as they face Paul George for the first time since dealing him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in late June. George, through his agent,...
Max Leinwand, producer of Pacers telecasts on FOX Sports Indiana, on his job and what you can expect this season.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Mad Ants of the NBA’s G League begin their third year under the operation of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Owner Herb Simon purchased the franchise back in 2015, and most NBA teams later followed in owning their own development program. The connection between the Pacers and Mad Ants is now...
Michael Grady is leaving Indianapolis for the Big Apple. The Warren Central High School product will be the Brooklyn Nets courtside reporter for the YES Network, one of the prestigious broadcast teams in the NBA. “Probably the most anxiety or stress that I’ve had in my life, because it’s a big move,” Grady said of...
Nate McMillan looks at ease, comfortable in his role and with this team. He’s been with the Pacers since 2013 and has coached more than 1,000 games. The reset button was hit on the roster and just two starters return (and six players in all) from last year’s team that bowed out in the first...
Fred Jones has mostly remained in Indianapolis since his playing days. He was drafted 14th overall by the Pacers out of the University of Oregon in 2002 and spent four years with the franchise. He then played four more years with four different teams. This summer, Jones started Shoot 360 in Indianapolis, which is “shaping...
The Indiana Pacers’ new $50 million practice facility, the St. Vincent Center, officially opens for business on Monday, August 28. The organization will hold a ribbon cutting at 1:15 pm on Thursday (Aug. 24) with local dignitaries: Governor Eric Holcomb, Mayor Joe Hogsett, and team officials. Many members of the Pacers’ basketball operations staff are already working...
After two years in Indianapolis and on the Pacers beat for the Indianapolis Star, Nate Taylor is moving away. That’s because he’s able to move back home to Kansas City. His wife, Holly, accepted a senior design job at Barkley, one of the largest independent advertising agencies in the United States. This doesn’t mean, however, that Nate...
The Pacers’ brand isn’t the only thing getting refreshed …the team’s roster is, too. Kevin Pritchard was promoted to General Manager and he had the challenge of trading Paul George, and he did so just before free agency. Then, he swiftly worked to remake the roster. That work is ongoing. The Pacers currently have 13...
Jamelle McMillan is excelling as a coach in the NBA. It wasn’t his plan, but it worked out that way. Jamelle, 28, is the son of Pacers head coach Nate McMillan. He remembers watching his dad play growing up, and was a ball boy for Nate’s Seattle SuperSonics team. The two also worked together with...
Georges Niang, the 50th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, still has a lot to show. His rookie season is behind him, though he didn’t get much of an opportunity nor did he make much of it. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in 23 appearances during the 2016-17 season where the Pacers...
The Pacers went with young talent with great potential in the 2017 NBA Draft. … That’s what a draft is all about, right? Potential. They used their first-round pick on 6-foot-10 forward T.J. Leaf at 18. With ties to the state and city, including his father, Brad, playing at Lawrence North High School, Leaf made...
Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard spoke with reporters after the 2017 NBA Draft late Thursday, into Friday morning. The Pacers had drafted three players, including UCLA’s T.J. Leaf at No. 18. It was his first draft with the organization as president, elevated to this role after Larry Bird decided to step down. But...
At No. 18, the Pacers drafted T.J. Leaf out of UCLA. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel while his father played professionally basketball. Leaf, who played just one year of college basketball, met with the Pacers Draft Combine in Chicago and then came to Indianapolis for a workout on May 23. Leaf’s father, Brad, attended...
Brian Windhorst is one of the best NBA reporters. He first started in the business with the Akron Beacon Journal, and as a young reporter he was assigned to go check out a stud basketball player with great potential. It turned out, it was LeBron James, who attended the very same high school Windhorst attended: St....
You see Sage Steele all the time on ESPN … on NBA coverage, on SportsCenter, on SportsCenter On the Road. She’s a self-proclaimed military brat, moving around frequently as a child. She eventually graduated from Carmel High School and Indiana University, and would later work at WISH-TV in Indianapolis before ultimately ended up at The Worldwide...
C.J. Miles will decline his player option and is set to become a free agent on July 1, the Pacers’ versatile forward confirmed to VigilantSports.com on Tuesday. This move was entirely expected considering he was set to pull in $4.772 million for the final year of a four-year deal he signed in 2014 worth $18 million. The news was first...
Indy officially put in a bid for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game last week. On Monday, April 24 — deadline day for 2020 and 2021 bids to be sent in — Larry Bird and Rick Fuson, Pacers Sports & Entertainment President, delivered Indy’s plans to the NBA Headquarters in downtown Manhattan. And, of course, they did it in style....
Kevin Pritchard was officially promoted to President of Basketball Operations of the Indiana Pacers Monday. The move was made after Larry Bird decided to slide into a part-time advisory role. “I want to thank Herb, Larry and Donnie (Walsh) for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Pritchard, who had been the team’s general manager since 2012. “As...
Larry Bird officially stepped down on Monday as the Pacers’ President of Basketball Operations, a title he has held since 2003. “I felt it was time to step away in a full-time capacity,” Bird said. “This has nothing to do with my health or our team. I’m 60 years old and I want to do...
As many may have been looking ahead to the weekend or talking about the first night of the 2017 NFL Draft, news broke at 12:29 pm ET that Larry Bird had decided to step away from his duties as the Pacers President of Basketball Operations. General Manager Kevin Pritchard, who first joined the franchise in 2011, will now take on those...
Four days after the Pacers’ season came to an end, Sunday afternoon in a Game 4 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, head coach Nate McMillan spoke with reporters about his first season has head coach here. McMillan answered questions for 25 minutes, with questions ranging from team identity, leadership, and what went wrong during the 2016-17, to their needs going...
So much for retirement, right? For Tamika Catchings, she only has one speed: GO! Since playing in the final game of her professional basketball career, the four-time Olympian has kept a full plate. Did you expect anything different? She has traveled with her husband, Parnell. She served as a game analyst for women’s college basketball on the...
The Pacers trail the Cleveland 3-0 in their best-of-seven first-round series, but it’s been close. C.J. Miles potential game-winning jumper just missed as time expired in Game 1; Game 2 was decided by six points; and in Game 3, the Pacers led by 25 points at intermission — and loss. It was the greatest halftime deficit...
“My love for this city and this organization has not wavered.” That’s Jermaine O’Neal, the former Pacer who was back in Indianapolis Sunday to be part of the Indiana Pacers’ celebration of the 2000s decades. O’Neal played for seven teams, but he was at his best in Indianapolis where he finished third in the NBA MVP...
After four seasons with the Pacers, center Ian Mahinmi moved on to the Washington Wizards last July. He signed a four-year, $64 million deal that pays him $16 million annually. As the Pacers rebuilt their roster and Mahinmi, among others, went elsewhere, it’s been really special to see those guys (and their significant other) remain close. Recently,...
Solomon Hill was always a likable guy, going back from his first conference call after being taken at 23rd by the Pacers in the 2013 NBA Draft. He played three years with the team, and then left in free agency after the team elected to decline their fourth-year team option on his rookie deal after sub-par play. In July,...
Eddie White has traveled across the world and worked for multiple professional sports teams. He’s currently the Director of Corporate Communications for the Indiana Pacers, and the host of Pacers Overtime on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis. White was part of the team’s traveling party to London as the franchise played in its first regular-season game outside of the...
Katie Douglas is a homegrown talent, playing basketball at all levels right here in her home state of Indiana. First at Perry Meridian High School. Then she won a National Championship at Purdue (1999), and a WNBA Championship (2012) with the Indiana Fever. She retired from the WNBA in 2014, playing for three teams over 14 seasons....
Brody Stephens, diagnosed in 2010 with acute myeloid leukemia, is a fighter. The New Palestine native is just eight years old but he’s had to battle like no kid should ever have. While at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, Brody was visited by Andrew Luck and Jack Doyle of the Colts, Steph Curry and coach...
Aaron Eamer was in his Las Vegas hotel tuned to a random NBA game in 2004. Eamer, a native of Bristol, England, was just visiting but he loved the game and decided he would become a fan of whichever team won. Indiana Pacers 90, New Jersey Nets 80 The Pacers won, and gained a fan for life...
Brooke Olzendam previously was the sideline reporter and host for Pacers games airing on FOX Sports Indiana. Her final season in Indianapolis was with the 2013-14 bunch that reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. She’s doing well, out west and closer to home. And, after two years as a reporter and host...
Jason Smeathers is a basketball trainer with Rob Blackwell over at St. Vincent Sports Performance. They train professionals (both NBA and overseas guys), they train some still in college, and they work with youngsters to prepare them for the years ahead. Smeathers is a local product, a graduate from Center Grove High School. He then went on to...
Clark Kellogg, though a Cleveland native, spent much of his adulthood working in Indianapolis. He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers out of Ohio State University with the eighth overall selection in the 1982 draft. After he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in his rookie season, he was named to the All-Rookie First Team. He played five...
With the Indiana Pacers’ 2016-17 season tipping off this week — at home, Oct. 26 against Dallas — it’s a good time to catch up with Todd Taylor, the Pacers’ Senior Vice President/Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. This is his sixth season with the franchise. Last year, he explained Hickory Nights, the process it took to make...
On the latest Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, I cover everything that has gone on at training camp. Head coach Nate McMillan is running his first training camp since 2011 — and the differences from last year to today have been evident from the beginning. Myles Turner and Paul George have missed time but there’s no reason to worry. There...
The job title changed for Nate McMillan on May 16th when Pacers President Larry Bird officially announced that McMillan would be the 15th head coach in franchise history. McMillan has a wealth of experience leading a team, a head coach for 930 (478-452) games over nearly 12 seasons for two different teams, and the 52-year-old brings an old-school approach. [VIDEO:...
Larry Bird, the Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations, is like most of us and is looking forward to another NBA season. The Pacers finished with a 45-37 record last season, good for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. After losing in seven games in Round 1 to the Toronto Raptors, Bird began making significant changes to the team...
When a Pacers player is dealing with discomfort or an injury, Josh Corbeil is who they contact. At practice or in a game, at home or in the middle of the night, Corbeil is essentially always on call. Corbeil, officially the Senior Director Medical Operations and Head Athletic Trainer, joined the Pacers in 2004. He took over for legendary athletic...
VigilantSports.com caught up with George Hill Thursday night, his final evening in Indianapolis. The point guard, who was traded to the Jazz in June, is headed to Utah to prepare for the upcoming 2016-17 NBA season with his new team. [As the Pacers move on from Hill, his love for Indy isn’t going anywhere.] In a one-on-one...
He knows the X’s and O’s of all 30 NBA teams, is on the road over 200 days a year, and his work each season begins when the schedule is released, as it was on Aug. 11. Right then, he begins mapping out his plan, where he needs to be and how he’s going to get there. The...
Yogi Ferrell is ready to begin the next phase of his life, as a professional. After four seasons in Bloomington, the Park Tudor and Indiana University graduate will head to Brooklyn to prepare for training camp near the end of August, one month before camp opens. Ferrell went through 16 pre-draft workouts but did not get...
CHICAGO, Ill. — Jalen Rose and two dozen students from the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy were in Chicago late last week for an experience of a lifetime. Jeep took care of their travel and then got them hooked up with tickets for Team USA’s exhibition game against Venezuela. Thursday afternoon, Rose was a man of the people — out at the...
The annual Knox Indy Pro Am is set for another season of games, running Tuesday, July 26 through Sunday, August 7. The Indianapolis-based Pro Am typically goes on for several weeks but this year it will be held on seven dates over a two-week period. Carlos Knox is the man behind the idea. A former pro overseas and...
ORLANDO, Fla. — After the Pacers played two Summer League games, they had the Fourth of July to themselves. Before relaxing and hanging out with friends, Glenn Robinson III met me in the hotel lobby to record this episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast. The Pacers signed Robinson III last season to a three-year deal with only...
Indiana’s own Jeff Teague returned home, officially introduced as a member of his hometown team Monday afternoon. A 2007 graduate of Pike High School, Teague is fired up to play home in Indianapolis. “I’ve always wanted to play for the Pacers,” Teague, 28, said at a press conference held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Listen to the 11-minute press conference,...
Three new Pacers sat at the table on the dais Friday afternoon, their first day in an official capacity with their new team. The Pacers acquired Thad Young in a draft-day trade with Brooklyn, signed Al Jefferson to a three-year deal in free agency, and then received Jeremy Evans in a trade with Dallas. [More on Jefferson with...
Pacers President Larry Bird and head coach Nate McMillan spoke with reporters Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. During the 23-minute press conference, the two discussed their offseason moves, the construction of the team, new pieces, and how they feel about the group going into the 2016-17 season.
ORLANDO, Fla. — So far in free agency, the Pacers have agreed to terms with one player, veteran big man Al Jefferson. He cannot make it official by signing this new three-year, $30 million deal until after the NBA moratorium on July 7th. To discuss Jefferson’s game, what he will add to the Pacers, and what kind of person...
Fresh off a media blitz earlier in the week with USA Basketball as the 12-man roster was announced, Paul George was back in Indianapolis. The three-time NBA All-Star has about three weeks before he’ll head west to Las Vegas, on July 17, for Training Camp followed by five exhibition games. Then, they’ll travel to Rio...
Georges Niang arrived in Indianapolis on Tuesday, eager to join the Pacers. Before taking part in practice No. 1 with the Summer League team, Niang, who the Pacers selected 50th overall in last week’s draft, addressed the local media.
With the 50th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Pacers selected forward Georges Niang from Iowa State University. He’s a four-year player with a coach-like mentality for the game. On this special episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, Iowa State University head basketball coach Steve Prohm joins to discuss Prohm’s game and his potential in the...
The Pacers traded away their first pick for Thad Young, and then later Thursday used their only selection in the 2016 NBA Draft to take forward Georges Niang out of Iowa State University with the 50th pick. Once the draft concluded, Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard discussed the draft and the team’s selection of Niang with reporters.
When I first started this podcast last fall, covering all things Pacers, Tambra Brenner was one of several individuals — beyond the coaches and players — at Pacers Sports & Entertainment I thought fans would enjoy hearing from. Brenner is the travel specialist at PS&E. Her primary responsibilities include managing the travel for the 10 scouts or so...
It’s been exactly one month since Nate McMillan was promoted to Pacers head coach by President Larry Bird. And he has certainly stayed busy. On this special episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, Scott Agness sits down with coach McMillan to discuss his first 30 days, observing draft workouts, and organizing his team the way he...
On this week’s episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, I’m joined by a familiar name in Central Indiana Sports: Tom Pritchard. Pritchard played basketball at Indiana University from 2008-12. He was not only part of that special game where IU knocked off No. 1 and previously unbeaten Kentucky at Assembly Hall, but he was also one...
Less than one month out from the 2016 NBA Draft, there’s no better time to talk with a longtime NBA scout about the job, sacrifices required, and how one can improve in their player evaluations. Pete Philo has worked for three NBA teams spanning 13 years. Most recently, he was the Pacers Director of International Scouting for almost three...
We have a lot to get to on this week’s episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast. The Pacers’ season is over and President Larry Bird made a coaching change, promoting Nate McMillan to the top chair. The team evaluated over 60 players at the NBA Draft Combine and then they have already conducted two pre-draft...
Nate McMillan, on Frank Vogel’s staff for the last three seasons as associate head coach, was introduced as the Indiana Pacers’ 15th head coach in franchise history at a press conference on Monday afternoon. [Pacers go old school, seek accountability in promoting McMillan to head coach] The press conference with McMillan and President of Basketball Operations...
The Pacers — more specifically, Larry Bird — are in search of the 15th coach in franchise history. The coaching search is five-plus days in and there hasn’t been any names tied to the jobs. There are dozens of names of former head coaches that are mentioned with the Pacers, but Bird is diligent in the process...
The Pacers 2015-16 season is complete after a first-round exit to the Toronto Raptors in Game 7. A few days later, Pacers President Larry Bird decided to change head coaches after Frank Vogel led this team for five and half seasons. On this week’s podcast, hear highlights of what Bird said at his 23-minute press...
There’s plenty to talk about now five games into the Pacers’ first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors. On this week’s episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com joins to analyze the series and the Pacers’ big collapse in the fourth quarter of Game 5 that cost them a lead in the series. Mazzeo...
On this week’s episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, Scott Agness covers the Pacers’ first-round series against the Toronto Raptors. As of the recording, the Raptors have a 2-1 lead on the series. Scott talks with Luis Scola about facing his former team and then dives deep into the series with NBA.com’s John Schuhmann. See Also: 2016 NBA...
Ahead of the Indiana Pacers’ first-round playoff series, Michael Grange of Rogers SportsNet joins Scott Agness on the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast to offer insight from the Toronto perspective. The Pacers are in the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, this year as the No. 7 seed. The Raptors, winners of 56 games, are having...
This week on the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, Matt Dollinger of SI.com joins to discuss the push to the playoffs, the Pacers’ season, and big storylines around the NBA. Dollinger, who has worked at SI since 2010, is an Indiana native and a graduate of Indiana University. Also, hear from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He...
On this week’s episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, I go one-on-one with the best interview in the Pacers locker room, C.J. Miles … and I talk to the Bad Boy himself, Rick Mahorn. With the Pacers’ season wrapping up, it’s a good time to have two individuals on to offer their perspective as a...
This week on the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, I’m joined by two special guests: Pacers Sports & Entertainment President Rick Fuson and Fever star Tamika Catchings. The Pacers and the city of Indianapolis would like to host NBA All-Star Weekend, and so Fuson, along with several other city officials, traveled to the 2016 NBA All-Star game across the border...
Scot Pollard played in the NBA for 11 seasons, including three for the Pacers, and he won an NBA Championship in his final season, 2008, while with the Boston Celtics. He’s on the latest season of Survivor, which currently airs at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS. The group of 18 is gone for seven weeks and isolated on Kaoh...
NBA executives were busy this week in the final days leading up the Trade Deadline at 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. Most teams remained out of it, including the Pacers (28-25). They decided their best option was to not pull the trigger on any trade. In this episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, I give you my take on what...
ESPN will air a 30 for 30 short on the “Save the Pacers” telethon held in 1977. They were out millions of dollars and needed money from folks in Indianapolis to keep the franchise afloat, and in town. In turn, it was incredibly important to the development of downtown Indianapolis and the sports landscape in the city. Indianapolis filmmaker Michael Husain...
Bill York is a staple around Indianapolis sports teams. When there’s a home game, Bill York is sure to be there working. He began working the stats room at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1957 and has been with the Pacers since the beginning (1967). He says that he even helped unload the Mayflower trucks with the Colts moved...
Nate Taylor is a fresh voice now covering the Indiana Pacers. His first day with the Indianapolis Star was in September at Pacers training camp. Taylor, a graduate of the University of Central Missouri, previously was a do-it-all journalist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He is married and has an infant son, Hayden. This week on the Vigilant Sports...
This week on the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast, I’m joined by Mark Montieth, who has covered the Pacers for decades — first for the Indianapolis Star and for Pacers.com since 2012. [The podcast is now on iTunes, so subscribe today so that the latest episode will download automatically.] Topics Discussed: Early season success Ian Mahinmi’s growth … an Hack-a-Ian...
Jeremiah Johnson is in his third season covering the Pacers for FOX Sports Indiana, and his second as the sideline reporter and host. Johnson, a Ball State graduate, joined the podcast from his hotel room in Los Angeles. [The podcast is now on iTunes, so subscribe today so that the latest episode will download automatically.] Topics Discussed:...
Quinn Buckner was a spectacular athlete. He was a two-sport athlete at Indiana University, part of the 1976 undefeated team, and is one of three individuals to have a championship at every level. This weekend, with family and friends sharing in the celebration, Buckner will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in...
A new podcast is up! It’s a busy time of year so this time, Scott Agness goes solo. After the Pacers started the season 0-3, they have since gone 5-1 (with their only loss being to the Cleveland Cavaliers by four points). [The podcast is now on iTunes so subscribe today so that the latest episode will download automatically.]...
The Indiana Pacers unveiled their NBA “Pride” uniform this fall, one that uniquely connects with the community. (Best of all, it’s not a sleeved jersey like most of the “Pride” uniforms around the league.) Several team execs gathered in a room nearly two years ago to brainstorm, and they came to an agreement on Hickory uniforms from the movie...
A new episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast is here just in time for the season opener — Wednesday night in Toronto. You’ll be watching on FOX Sports Indiana, who plans to televise all 82 regular season games for the first time ever. You know Chris Denari (10th), Quinn Buckner (17th), and Jeremiah Johnson (2nd), but you don’t...
Brian Levy is just 31 years old but he’s now tasked with running the basketball division of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA’s Developmental League. Exactly one month ago, the Indiana Pacers finalized a deal to purchase the Mad Ants and thus have a one-to-one affiliation. For the past five years, Levy was with the Bakersfield Jam,...
MINNEAPOLIS — As you may know, I recently started a Pacers Podcast. Well, covering the WNBA Finals I thought it was appropriate to put together a Fever episode. [VIDEO: Stephanie White talks with the media ahead of Game 2] The Fever were victorious in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, 75-69. At Monday’s media availability, I spoke...
The Pacers opened training camp for the 2015-16 season on Tuesday and will have had three two-a-days by week’s end. I spoke with three players — rookie Joe Young, second-year big man Shayne Whittington, and Jordan Hill — with different perspectives about camp. Topics Discussed: Joe Young’s heart and passion for the game Young’s motivation,...
The first episode of the Vigilant Sports Pacers Podcast is here… Topics Discussed: The Pacers busy “off”season Asset building Paul George at power forward Tracking 10 storylines as camp opens. I appreciate you taking the time to listen. I welcome all feedback: @ScottAgness on Twitter or Scott@VigilantSports.com. Enjoy!