Herb Simon, chair and owner of Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E), was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday night in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Simon, the longest-tenured owner in NBA history, was enshrined under the “Contributors” category, which recognizes owners and executives who have been instrumental in helping grow basketball in the United States and across the globe. He joins Pacers legends Reggie Miller, George McGinnis, Bobby “Slick” Leonard, Roger Brown, Mel Daniels and Fever legend Tamika Catchings in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
“This is not a recognition that I ever expected, but I’m so humbled and honored to receive it,” Simon said. “It has, however, given me a chance to reflect on the last 41 years, and one of the things I’ve realized is that I’m still as excited for the start of a new season as ever.”
Simon and his brother, Melvin, purchased the Pacers in 1983, injecting the franchise with new energy and keeping the team firmly in Indiana. Working alongside business and civic leaders, the Simons were central to bringing the 1985 NBA All-Star Game to Indianapolis, an event that set an All-Star attendance record that stood until 2010.
As an owner and team governor, Simon has been at the forefront of the NBA’s evolution into a global brand, its efforts to innovate and reach new fans and the expansion of the game of basketball outside of the U.S. PS&E joined the WNBA with the expansion Fever in 2000 and became one of the League’s most successful franchises, and Simon’s commitment to women’s basketball has helped position the WNBA as the premier women’s professional basketball league in the world.
For fans in Indiana, Simon’s impact stretches well beyond the basketball court.
For decades, he and the Simon family have been important catalysts for the growth of Indianapolis into an international hub for business, sports and entertainment, and arts and culture. Simon’s commitment to the downtown has helped the Circle City flourish and shaped the physical and cultural landscape of the city, and the philanthropic investments he and the Simon family have made have helped strengthen so many Indiana communities, Hoosier families and the organizations who serve them.
Follow Noral @3Noral. For more news courtesy of the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
 Herb Simon was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hal of Fame in Oct. 2024.){kind=link}