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Indiana Pacers Will Wear Hickory Uniforms to Celebrate ‘Hoosiers’

By Dave McKee

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Indiana Pacers Partners with MGM Studios to Bring Hickory to the NBA Hardwood.

The Indiana Pacers in an unprecedented partnership with Metro Goldwin Mayer (MGM) Studios will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1986 critically acclaimed film ‘Hoosiers’ starring Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper and Barbara Hershey. The Indiana native and Pacers guard George Hill was honored to announce the partnership for the Indiana Pacers on Twitter.

The idea was championed by the Indiana Pacers senior vice president for sales and marketing, Todd Taylor. “Obviously, we revere the film, but more importantly we believe our organization, especially our players, embody the core message of the story – by coming together as a team, there is nothing that can’t be accomplished,” Taylor told Pacers.com

The Indiana Pacers will pay homage to the film this season by donning the ‘Hickory Huskers’ uniforms for select games in 2015-16 as part of the NBA Pride Collection.

According to Pacers.com:

"“The Hickory uniform is a tribute to the rich tradition of basketball in the State of Indiana and will serve as inspiration to fans everywhere that no matter how improbable the challenge may be, amazing things can be accomplished through teamwork, determination, heart and hustle.”"

The timing of this announcement is momentous for a new generation of NBA players and fans alike. Prior to the 2015 NBA Draft Bleacher Report Studios released a video polling this year’s NBA Rookies. They were asked if they had ever seen the movie Hoosiers. Their answers were surprising to say the least:

Indiana native and Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations, Larry Bird told Pacers.com:

"“Our team will be honored to wear the Hickory uniforms because of the attention it will bring to the storied history of Indiana basketball and the success of that movie,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “Hoosiers takes us all back to a special place and time.”"

Personally, as a child growing up in Indiana there was no greater sports movie than the film ‘Hoosiers‘.

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In fact, the underdog film even holds its water among the national media in terms of greatest sports movies. The New York Daily

news ranks Hoosiers as the #2 greatest sports movie of all-time

just ahead of Rocky (#3) and behind Raging Bull (#1).

The film was written and directed by Indiana natives Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh and was inspired by the true story of the 1954 Indiana High School championship, better known as the ‘Milan Miracle of 1954’. In a real-life David versus Goliath story, the Milan Indians (enrollment 162) defeated the Muncie Central Bearcats (enrollment 1,662) in the IHSAA state championship played in Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University. You can find many of the reel-life versus real-life stories of the Hoosiers and the Milan Miracle on the Milan ’54 – Hoosiers Museum’s website.

Theatrically licensed or not, Hoosiers is an all-time great film. One can only hope the Indiana Pacers emulate the same passion and team work and execution the Hickory Huskers did for coach Norman Dale. If so, the season could be as memorable as the movie itself. For those who have never seen the real Milan Miracle I found this video on the previously mentioned Milan ’54 – Hoosiers Museum’s website.

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