Indiana Legends Assists Herb Simon

Herb Simon will become one of the basketball immortals as a contributor in October, joining the legends of the game at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. He earned some friends as the owner of the Indiana Pacers and Fever. Presenting Simon's enshrinement are three Indiana basketball legends: Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, and Tamika Catchings.

Simon purchased the Pacers in 1983, funding the team to nine Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals in 2000. Although from Brooklyn, New York, Simon is an Indianapolis, Indiana resident.

The City College of New York graduate also owns the Fever, so Catchings, a 2020 Hall of Fame inductee, will join Bird and Miller in presenting Simon's enshrinement.

Bird coached the Pacers from 1997 to 2000 for three years, as he promised to only coach for the allotted time. The Boston Celtics legend made Simon plenty of money as the Pacers reached their only NBA Finals under Bird's watch. Following Bird's short tenure as head coach, he accepted the Pacers' president of basketball operations in 2003.

Miller's reasoning speaks for itself. However, for the younger generation, he embodies a Pacers star, an underdog with a chip on his shoulder and a knack for coming up in high-stakes moments. The Pacers star took on New York and won, honoring the small market of Indiana and the proud fans.

Regarding Catchings, she is a one-time WNBA MVP winner, receiving votes for such an award in 13 of her 15 seasons.

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All the money Simon made couldn't buy him a Hall of Fame induction, but his aforementioned presenters aided the billionaire in his quest for the prestigious honor.