Indiana
Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson chat Larry Bird coaching stories during time with Indiana Pacers
On a recent episode of the Come And Talk 2 Me podcast, former Indiana Pacers guards Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson discussed some of their experiences together with the Pacers franchise.
Jackson and Miller shared a backcourt in Indianapolis from 1995-2000. They teamed up on some of the best Pacers teams ever — they were one game from the NBA Finals in 1998 and made it in 2000.
Their coach in the 1998-2000 seasons was Larry Bird, the legendary player who turned into a coach, then an executive. Bird won coach of the year in 1998 and was largely successful guiding the Pacers with his unique style.
Miller and Jackson recalled a game in which the two had a memorable interaction with Bird. “We were in the layup line, and Reg and I, as captains of the team, we had to go back and talk to Larry Bird before the game,” Jackson began. He couldn’t remember what they needed to bother the coach about, but the two jogged off the court and into the back of the arena.
From there, Miller took over the story. “Jack and I, we go back to the locker room and we’re like, ‘where’s coach Bird?’. The pair was told that their coach was in his office, so they went to check and he wasn’t there. Slick Leonard, a former coach for the Pacers who was a broadcaster at the time, suggested to the players that Bird might be in the area where the showers are.
“We head back to the shower because we had to ask him this question,” Miller continued. “Before we got out there, go around the corner. Larry Legend is sitting in a chair, he’s got a pack of Newports. He’s just smoking away.”
“What do you guys need?” Bird said, per Miller’s recollection.
The two former players never explained where the story went from there, only saying that the sight affected their play that night in the game. Neither Jackson or Miller ever brought it up to Bird. The entire podcast episode can be found here, with this story coming late in the episode.
Curt Cignetti wants players approaching spring practice with ‘great sense of urgency’
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti talks about how he defines progress for his position groups and players during spring practice:
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s offensive line had a lot to say about the program’s historic success last season.
The Hoosiers only gave up 11 sacks during their 10-0 start and didn’t allow a single sack in five of those wins. The group allowed fewer quarterback pressures last season (86) than they did through the first six games of 2023 (87).
There was a noticeable drop-off in performance late in the year — the season-ending injury that starting left guard Drew Evans didn’t help — and IU coach Curt Cignetti went into the offseason looking to bolster their talent and depth up front.
Indiana had success in the portal by landing Notre Dame center Pat Coogan (26 career starts), Ohio State tackle Zen Michalski (a former 4-star prospect) and Colorado guard Kahlil Benson (21 career starts). Benson is a familiar face having spent four seasons in Bloomington as a member of the team’s 2020 signing class.
Cignetti offered his thoughts on the state of the offensive line on Tuesday morning after the team wrapped up the sixth practice of the spring.
“I see progress,” Cignetti said. “Coogan is making progress, Carter Smith has got to get better. They all got to get better, right? All of them.”
Indiana’s new quarterback Fernando Mendoza was a bit more effusive when he talked about the offensive line last week. Mendoza was sacked 40 times last season at Cal — third-most in the FBS — and pressured on 156 of his 460 dropbacks.
“I could go on and on about all of those guys,” Mendoza said. “Those are all phenomenal players, and I have a ton of time (to throw the ball). Quite honestly it is a little more time than I am used to, I would say. But it has been great, and I have had great offensive lines in the past, and I am blessed to have an amazing offensive line this year.”
There have been some roadblocks for the line this spring.
Evan’s Achilles injury will sideline him until the fall — Cignetti hasn’t offered an exact timeline for his return — and Benson is on the shelf as well with an undisclosed injury. Indiana backup guard Austin Leibfried broke his hand during spring camp but is playing through the injury.
“He’s in a big hand cast and that’s limiting him a little bit right now,” Cignetti said.
Cignetti said the younger linemen getting reps in their place have done a “nice job.” He specifically mentioned redshirt freshman Adedamola Ajani along with early enrollees Baylor Wilkin and Matt Marek. Ajani is working at guard while Wilkin is getting reps at tackle and Marek is at center.
“The first line looks like an offensive line for the most part,” Cignetti said. “Functions like an offensive line for the most part. We’ve got to continue to get better, working together.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Severe weather is expected to hit Indiana Wednesday evening. A dangerous line of storms will move into central Indiana between 6 p.m. and midnight.
Storm Track 8 says recent weather primed the environment for intense thunderstorms, damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.
The western half of Indiana is under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. Parts of southern Indiana will remain under a tornado watch until 1 a.m. tomorrow.
The Indiana Department of Transportation prepared for the severe weather and has crews on standby to respond to heavy flooding. Southern Indiana is expected to get the worst of the flooding.
You’re urged to use caution and stay tuned for weather updates.
Storm Track 8 weather blog | Check the Storm Track 8 interactive radar | Indiana’s travel advisory map
5:10 p.m.
A line of intensifying thunderstorms in Illinois will move into Indiana after 6 p.m. Widespread winds up to 70-80 mph, hail, and flash floods are expected.
4:15 p.m.
A tornado watch has been issued for most of Indiana until 11 p.m.
Counties under a tornado watch are: Benton, Boon, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, Fountain, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hendricks, Howard, Jasper, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, Lake, Lawrence, La Porte, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Owen, Parke, Porter, Pulaski, Putnam, Starke, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, White
by: Christopher Claffey and Gregg Montgomery
Posted: / Updated:
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Pacers celebrated entering the NBA playoffs, although the team didn’t play Tuesday night.
The Portland Trailblazers beat the Atlanta Hawks 127-113, and that loss by the Hawks put the Pacers in the playoffs.
Now, the Pacers will wait to find out what team they’ll oppose. At the current standings, the Pacers say they could possibly play the Detroit Pistons with a home-court advantage.
The team’s “magic number,” to secure a top-four seed and the home-court advantage in the first round, was 5 on Tuesday night.
The Pacers put a poster on social media to celebrate and shared a link for tickets.
The Pacers went to the playoffs last season, but the Boston Celtics swept the best-of-seven conference championship series with four wins.
On Wednesday night, the Pacers play the Charlotte Hornets with a 7 p.m. tip-off.
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