Roy Hibbert walked back into Bankers Life Fieldhouse Monday morning for team shootaround, only this time he rode a bus. He was with the visiting team.
He had never been in the visitor’s locker.
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Hibbert, who played for the Pacers from 2008-2015 and was twice named an NBA All-Star, met with the media for less than two minutes after his Los Angeles Lakers team held shootaround. While he kept it short, he looked relaxed and even smiled several times.
“Happy to be back,” he said “… It was fun times but it’s time to move on.”
The area formerly known as Area 55 is now Rodney Stuckey’s section.
The Pacers traded him to the Lakers for a 2019 second-round pick in July and then declined any media requests from the Indy market. Today, he was finally able to thank fans for their support and for hanging with him.
“I appreciate it,” he said. “I loved the time I had here. I love you guys. Best of luck to you guys in the future.”
[Paul George excited to go against Kobe for the final time]
Area 55, his former fan section in the north east corner of the Fieldhouse, looks a little different now. Rodney Stuckey took over where Hibbert left off, but you can expect Pacers fans to cheer for their former leader.
“It looks a little different, man, but I’m sure that the crowd will be raucous and everything like that,” Hibbert said, then added, “ya’ll enjoy your day,” and sat down next to the Pacers PR staff.