I wasn’t sure what to think when my phone started hopping with calls and text messages this past Saturday night as I was taking in the Rolling Stones at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Roy Hibbert has been traded! Roy Hibbert has been traded!” screamed one of my colleagues as if he were reenacting Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride and warning the entire free world. In the next hour, I received at least 10 text messages and four emails regarding him being jettisoned to the Los Angeles Lakers for an undisclosed amount of cash, and a non-lottery draft pick.
These correspondences came from both people who currently work for the Pacers as well as those who work in the market that Hibbert will soon be playing in. As I waited for even Mick Jagger to make an announcement on stage between songs about it, I couldn’t help but think about all those who were tough on Hibbert (yours truly included) during his tumultuous tenure with the Indiana Pacers. You know, the way we complained about his defensive effort regarding the pick and roll, his refusal to master the “sky hook,” and his inability to get and up and down the floor. His aloof attitude toward the media this past season was also fair game, and it just got worse as a terribly wasted season in Pacers history came to a merciful end.
The aforementioned warrants all the criticism of his performance, and further illustrates the professional insanity of Larry Bird to match the gaudy four-year, $58 million offer sheet Hibbert’s agent David Falk convinced Portland to give his client in 2012. Hibbert got paid and the Pacers never recovered from it. Simply put, Bird completely misread the situation and the franchise suffered immensely. After a season-ending press conference in which both Bird and Pacers Head Coach Frank Vogel talked about playing a different style of basketball that did not suit Hibbert’s style, it was obvious the ultra sensitive center was available to anyone daring to take a flyer on him.
However, not everything about No. 55 was sub par, especially when it came to what he offered to the Indianapolis community. Hibbert was approachable and always willing to sign an autograph for the forgiving fans who donned his replica jersey, as well as the crazies who got a free seat in the “Area 55” section of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which for the record, was financed entirely by the man himself. He also participated in reading programs for children, gave generously to several local charities, and quietly visited pediatric patients in hospitals. As a result, those who question his statistics off the floor would be foolish, and arguably spiteful, as his actions clearly speak for themselves.
Sure, as a player he was at best inconsistent, and was constantly overly critical of himself, destroying his basketball persona, and extinguishing even the small amount of bravado most of us are born with. He was more delicate than an expensive cashmere sweater and became a source of frustration for his teammates, and eventually a divisive current in the locker room. Simply put, it was a waste of time and money in terms of what the Pacers put into him, and he had to go. In fairness to Hibbert, he never benefited from having a true point guard on the roster, and he had the courage to speak up regarding Paul George and Lance Stephenson, appropriately labeling them as both immature and selfish. To his credit, he never complained about Bird’s gag order regarding the incident, and he wore the collar proudly.
Yes, it clearly did not work out for him while he was here in Indianapolis, but as a human being he was more than just adequate. He did a lot of good things, and many of them went unnoticed. Sure he was grossly overpaid by the absurd system that is NBA free agency, but he did spread it around and for that the community is both grateful and better. Chances are Hibbert will play well enough in L.A. to get another contract next season. It too will be more than he is worth, but I am willing to wager he will again be generous to the city that opens its doors to him. For if we have learned anything about Hibbert, we know he is a good person with a generous heart and a kind soul.
Those qualities are not commensurate with a NBA title, but they are somewhat refreshing in a day and age when many athletes just do not possess those attributes. Hibbert has that going for him, and should take pride in it.
No, he couldn’t hit a hook shot, but he was a damn good citizen while he lived here. We all will miss that.
Good luck Roy, and feel free to drop 20 and 10 on the Pacers when you visit next season. Just make sure you embrace your new zip code off the floor the same way you did ours. That’s all any sensible fan can really ever ask.
Danny Bridges, who thinks Roy Hibbert may surprise people in L.A., can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
