INDIANAPOLIS – Herb Simon, chairman and owner of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, has been selected as member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024, the organization announced this morning during a live broadcast on ESPN.
Simon, the longest-tenured owner in NBA history, was named a finalist in February under the “Contributors” category, which recognizes owners and executives who have been instrumental in helping grow basketball in the United States and across the globe. He will join Pacers legends Reggie Miller, George McGinnis, Bobby “Slick” Leonard, Roger Brown, and Mel Daniels and Fever legend Tamika Catchings in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
“As the longest-standing governor in NBA history, a founding member of the WNBA, and a former Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors, Herb Simon has been instrumental in every significant NBA and WNBA development over the past four decades,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “While Herb has never sought credit for his truly influential role, it is wonderful to see his steady leadership and service to the game of basketball recognized by the Hall of Fame.”
Simon and his brother, Melvin, purchased the Pacers in 1983, injecting the franchise with new energy and keeping the team firmly in Indiana. Working alongside business and civic leaders, the Simons were central to bringing the 1985 NBA All-Star Game to Indianapolis, an event that set an All-Star attendance record that stood until 2010. The Pacers, meanwhile, have been one of the NBA’s most steady and consistent franchises since that time, one of the League’s most recognizable brands with a fan base that extends well beyond our state borders.
“Herb’s genuine commitment to this franchise and our city has resulted in the kinds of civic and philanthropic partnerships that are the gold standard for organizations around the NBA,” said Steve Simon, PS&E owner and alternate governor.
As an owner and team governor, Simon has been at the forefront of the NBA’s evolution into a global brand, it’s efforts to innovate and reach new fans, and the expansion of the game of basketball outside of the United States. PS&E joined the WNBA with the expansion Fever in 2000 and became one of the League’s most successful franchises, and Simon’s commitment to women’s basketball, generally, have helped position the WNBA as the premier women’s professional basketball league in the world.
Additionally, Simon was one of the first owners to start an NBA 2K franchise, Pacers Gaming, when that League was founded in 2017-2018, understanding the opportunity to engage new demographics and grow a passion for the game to younger generations. In fact, PS&E is now one of only a handful of organizations that boasts franchises in the NBA, WNBA, G League, and NBA 2K League.
“Herb has always pushed our organization and the NBA to think bigger about our opportunity to reach new fans, make impact off the court, and grow the brand in innovative ways,” said PS&E CEO Rick Fuson. “He has certainly had an outsized impact on the growth of the game, and he has done it in his unique, unassuming way that deflects praise to others.”
For fans in Indiana, Simon’s impact stretches well beyond the basketball court. For decades, he and the Simon family have been important catalysts for the growth of Indianapolis into an international hub for business, sports and entertainment, and arts and culture. Simon’s commitment to the downtown has helped the Circle City flourish and shaped the physical and cultural landscape of the city, and the philanthropic investments he and the Simon family have made have helped strengthen so many Indiana communities, Hoosier families, and the organizations who serve them.
“For decades, Herb has been a model owner in the NBA, as well as one of its most respected voices,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “He cares deeply not only about our franchise but about the future of our sport and our League, and there is no one is more deserving of this amazing recognition.” The Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be formally recognized on the court at halftime of tonight’s first NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinal game between Purdue University and North Carolina State University. Simon and fellow inductees will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts, on August 16-17.