The Pacers aren’t playing on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which is unusual lately. They have done so in four of the last five years. Just not this year.
Still, Pacers Sports & Entertainment will be represented on this special day.
Former Pacer Jalen Rose, now with ESPN/ABC, and Fever star Tamika Catchings are down in Memphis and will receive the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award, along with Spencer Haygood. The award is presented to the three honorees for their significant contributions to civil and human rights and laying the foundation for future leaders through their career in sports in the spirit of Dr. King.
Catchings is the first woman to receive the award.
A ceremony will occur pregame and can be seen on ESPN’s broadcast. (Mark Jones, Jon Berry, Cassidy Hubbarth) Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET.
On Sunday, the group (and others) spent time at the National Civil Rights Museum and at the Lorraine Hotel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated back on April 4, 1968.
Great tour of the @NCRMuseum with @JalenRose @Catchin24 @SpencerHaywood.At the spot where MLK spent his last breath pic.twitter.com/iSKTX7ht1n
— MarkJonesESPN (@MarkJonesESPN) January 18, 2016