Pacers great George McGinnis will be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 8.
Among the great traditions of enshrinement weekend are the presenters for each individual. On one condition, they must already be in the Hall of Fame. (No, they are not on the hook for a speech. It is a great honor to be chosen.)
McGinnis, an Indy native who was with the Pacers for two stints (1971-75, 1980-82), has decided on who he will bestow that honor.
Artis Gilmore (2011), Reggie Miller (2012), Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard (2014), and Spencer Haywood (2015).
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Joining McGinnis in the 2017 Hall of Fame Class is Zack Clayton, Nick Galis, Robert Hughes, Mannie Jackson, Tom Jernstedt, Jerry Krause, Rebecca Lobo, Muffet McGraw, Tracy McGrady, and Bill Self.
McGinnis is the final individual with his number hung in the rafters of Bankers Life Fieldhouse to be elected a Hall of Famer, joining Reggie Miller, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown, and Slick Leonard.
For his career — 842 games in all — McGinnis averaged 20.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He was a key contributor to two of the Pacers’ ABA Championships (1972, 1973). In 1973, he was the most valuable player in the postseason. Two years later, in 2015, he was named ABA MVP.