Turner’s Block is located in section 120 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Earlier this month, Turner’s Block made its debut at home games — replacing The G2 Zone which occupied the same space for the last five seasons.
It’s not just another fan section, Myles Turner says, it’s one of many new things he is doing to plant roots in Indy and contribute to the local community. This has been a goal of his for a little while now.
“We’ve got some of the most knowledgeable and loyal fans in the NBA,” said Turner, who is just 20. “I wanted to support them like they support me every night.”
[First look: Turner’s Block G2 Zone]
The idea of a fan section was first discussed more than six years by Heather Denton, who was the Pacers’ Director of Player from 1998-2014. She shared it with Roy Hibbert who was fully on board with the idea. Attendance and engagement at Pacers games then was down, and this was an idea to hopefully jumpstart it. And Area 55 was such a great success, that it led to Paul George and George Hill starting The G2 Zone.
For Turner, the name fitting with the way he has rejected shots during his sophomore season. He’s third in the league in blocks per game (2.5), behind only Anthony Davis and Rudy Robert.
“Defense is a huge part of my game, and the way these fans have embraced me?! Man … Indy has become a second home to me. So this is our Block. Indy’s and mine. Don’t come here looking for easy buckets.”
Even in his rookie season last year, he carried on a tradition that started with his family in Bedford, Texas: W.A.R.M. — We all really matter. It’s a simple concept.
He — yes, Myles, not just someone with his credit card — goes to a wholesale store like Costco and buys every day items like toothbrushes, deodorant, and crackers, plus winter needs like gloves and hats. He then organizes these dozen of items into bags to distribute around downtown Indianapolis. He also keeps bags in his car should he drive past anyone that could really use one.
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Turner envisions this section joining him on these types of missions and not just adding to the environment at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for home games.
“I’m hoping to get the fans in Turner’s Block excited about getting involved in the local community with me too,” he said. “Maybe it’s through my W.A.R.M. Initiative, or maybe it’s something new we come up with together, but I’m always encouraging the people of Indianapolis to ask themselves how they can give back.
“My twitter handle is Original Turner so you know I’ve got some unique events planned that Pacers fans haven’t seen before.”
New this year, too, are sections at select games for “Nate’s Nest,” “Thad Young Stars,” “Big Al’s Club,” and “Glenn Robinson III.” This was something discussed and decided upon in the offseason, according to the players, and they are giving away tickets and other items to around 10 to 12 games.
As the home experience, with HD television, reliable Internet, and electric outlets, gets even better and remains the best bargain, teams are thinking of ways to not only get fans to games but to also make them feel a part of them. A section like Turner’s, which he pushed for, is just another way.
“Words can’t describe how excited I am for it,” he said with a big grin. “I’m going to putting a lot of effort into it this season. I’m going to be very involved with my section and the people that are in it.”
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