George McGinnis; Indiana Basketball Legend & Hall Of Famer Died At 73
The 73-year-old Hall of Famer and renowned Indiana Pacers player George McGinnis passed away. McGinnis’s death from complications resulting from his heart arrest last week was declared by the Pacers on Thursday morning.
Born in Indiana, McGinnis competed in basketball at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels in his home state. When the Pacers were a member of the American Basketball Association, he won several titles with them. He also prospered when the ABA and NBA combined.
After ending his career as a professional player, he became a prosperous businessman in Indiana and remained active in basketball, both at the collegiate and professional levels.
In a statement, Pacers Sports & Entertainment and the Simon family revealed,
“For generations of Hoosiers, George McGinnis fashioned a great deal of their favorite basketball retentions, from his all-state high school career to his time as an IU All-American and, of course, his iconic ABA championship runs with the Pacers.”
“A champion and future Hall of Fame player, he embodied everything that made an Indiana basketball icon. But it wasn’t all he was. George was related to us. George has become as much of a household name around the Pacers as any player, being a fervent supporter of his fellow ABA players and a constant source of joy. We at Pacers Sports & Entertainment will all be thinking of George and his family in our thoughts. He will be sorely missed.”
Mother Willie and father Burnie, a sharecropper, welcomed McGinnis into the world in Harpersville, Alabama in 1950. In an attempt to provide a better life for George and his sister Bonnie, they quickly relocated to Indianapolis, a place they had never been before.
In 1969, George McGinnis helped led Washington High School in Indianapolis to an undefeated 31-0 season that culminated in a state title, setting the stage for his legendary career. He claimed to have had “hundreds” of football scholarship offers, but he finally decided to concentrate on basketball despite his success as a tight end and defensive end in the game of football.
McGinnis was a freshman at Indiana University who led the Big Ten in both scoring and rebounds. Prior to leaving for the Pacers, he was selected to the third team of the All-American team.
The ABA Pacers were the winners of back-to-back ABA titles in 1972 and 1973 during McGinnis’ four-year tenure with them. A few years later, he and future teammate Julius Erving were chosen ABA MVP.
He was also selected MVP of the playoffs in 1973 and an ABA All-Star three times. Following the ABA-NBA merger, he was moved to the Philadelphia 76ers and went on to become a full-fledged Philly star, being named an All-Star twice more.
The Sixers were in a position to sign Erving after the 1975–76 campaign, but they would not do so without McGinnis’s consent. He succeeded in doing so, and even though McGinnis was transferred to the Denver Nuggets in 1978, Dr. J brought the Sixers’ inaugural and last NBA championship in 1983. In 1980, McGinnis transferred back to the Pacers.
A private memorial ceremony will be held for McGinnis, but the Pacers announced on Thursday that they will have a celebration of his life in 2024.
