Slick Leonard

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The Pacers family lost an icon on Wednesday with the passing of Nancy Leonard at the age of 93. The wife of Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster Bob "Slick" Leonard, Nancy played a pivotal role in the franchise's history and was instrumental in ensuring the Pacers remained in Indianapolis.

"Quite simply, we would not be here without her," the Simon family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment said in a statement on Nancy Leonard's passing. "From the earliest days of the franchise, Nancy poured her heart and soul into the team, not just as the wife of Slick Leonard, but as a female trailblazer who rallied the community when we needed it the most."

Mark Montieth told Nancy's life story in great detail in a three-part feature for Pacers.com that originally ran in 2014. Her 70-plus year love story with Slick began when they met as freshmen at Indiana University in the fall of 1950. They were married four years later, would have five children, and were together every step of the way on their lifelong basketball journey, including Slick's seven-year NBA career as a player and joining the Pacers in the franchise's infancy when Slick took over as head coach in 1968.

Under Slick's coaching, the Pacers were the ABA's most successful franchise, winning three championships in 1970, 1972, and 1973. They won all three championships on the road and Nancy was there for all three of them.

"One of her favorite memories is standing in the tunnel that led from the Pacers' locker room to the court before Game 6 in L.A. [in 1970], nervously awaiting tipoff," Montieth wrote. "Roger Brown, the last player out, sauntered by and said, 'You look like you're about to go to the death chamber.' Then he went out and scored 45 points to end the series."

While she wasn't an official team employee during the ABA years, Nancy was instrumental in a number of initiatives behind the scenes. Along with Sandy Knapp, she helped form the Pacemates – the first dance team in professional basketball – coaching the team and holding their first practices in the Leonard family basement.

When the Pacers joined the NBA in the ABA/NBA merger in 1976, the team owners asked Nancy to run the front office in an official capacity, hiring her as assistant general manager.

"She was fully in charge of the front office, likely the first woman in the history of professional spots to hold such a responsibility," Montieth wrote. "She downplays it all today, but those around her do not. Slick was the coach and general manager, and made all the basketball decisions. She directed the office of 13 employees and attended league meetings. It might be surprising to some that she was accepted into the formerly male bastion of general managers, but not to those who know her. She tends to command respect."

After that first year in the NBA, Nancy guided the franchise through its most significant crisis. When the ownership group announced it needed to sell 8,000 season tickets for the following season to raise enough money to keep the franchise afloat, Nancy quickly mobilized, organizing The Save the Pacers Telethon which aired on local television from 10 p.m. on July 3 to 2:30 p.m. on July 4, 1977.

The telethon succeeded, keeping the Pacers in Indianapolis. An emotional Nancy revealed on air that they had crossed the 8,000-ticket threshold in the final minutes of the broadcast. She remembered being especially moved by gestures from some of the Pacers' youngest fans.

“That was when I cried,” Nancy told Montieth. “We were right at the number and these kids start coming in with coffee cans. They had gone up and down the street and collected coins. That kind of told me what the community thought about the Pacers, even people who couldn't buy season tickets.”

Nancy's front office tenure and Slick's coaching career came to an end in 1980, but Slick returned to the franchise as a broadcaster a few years later and Nancy came back with him, this time as a fan.

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She would drive Slick to every home game, continuing a tradition they had from his coaching days (she told a story at his celebration of life in 2021 that she insisted she always drove them to and from games after his aggressive driving after a loss startled her in the passenger seat). Slick would call the games on the radio with Mark Boyle, while Nancy would cheer on the team from the sidelines.

She was a fixture at Pacers home games for the past several decades. Nancy established close relationships with numerous players, coaches, and staff members over the years, even helping many of them purchase houses in her career as a real estate agent.

Nancy remained close to the franchise even after Slick's passing in April 2021. She was asked to be the Pacers' official representative for the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery. Last fall, she participated in a video shoot for the Pacers NBA Cup court, which paid tribute to Slick and his signature phrase of "Boom Baby!"

And at age 93, Leonard was there in her customary seat behind the Pacers' bench during the team's unforgettable run to the 2025 NBA Finals. After Indiana beat the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, many players and coaches made a point to embrace Nancy on the sidelines in the midst of the on-court celebration.

After the news of Nancy's passing, star guard Tyrese Haliburton posted a video of his hug with Nancy on social media.

"The First Lady of Indiana basketball," Haliburton wrote. "Before every game, I knew I could count on a wink and a smile behind the bench. There is no Pacers basketball without Nancy Leonard."

Before Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Nancy did a radio interview with Eddie White for the "Around the House" segment of Pacers Weekly. In it, she recalled her emotions earlier that week being in attendance for the Pacers' Game 6 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“During the game I looked up into the stands with everybody with their yellow shirts on…and I thought, 'Bob, do you realize that you brought this here?,'" Leonard said. "These people are having a wonderful time because of what you did."

Nancy was right, of course, but she also downplayed her own role. None of the Pacers' success over the last 50 years would have been possible without Nancy Leonard.

"From organizing the now-legendary telethon that helped save the team to being a constant presence courtside as a true superfan, her passion for the organization made her beloved by generations of players, alumni and staff," the Simon Family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment said on Tuesday. "She will always be part of the Pacers family and her legacy will continue to shape who we are. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Leonard family and all who were touched by Nancy's remarkable life."

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Nancy Leonard was an Indiana Icon Who Left Indelible Imprint on the Pacers Organization

In commemoration of the NBA's 75th Anniversary season, the league announced on Tuesday a list of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. The list, which was unveiled on the "Inside the NBA" pregame show on TNT and was selected by a blue ribbon panel including all 30 NBA coaches, features two coaches who have manned the sidelines for the Blue & Gold: Larry Brown and Jack Ramsay.

Brown owns the best win percentage of any coach in franchise history, going 147-67 (.687) in Indiana from 1993-97. Coaching the team at the peak of Reggie Miller's career, Brown helped lead the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals in both 1994 and 1995.

The well-traveled Brown coached eight other teams over his NBA career, tallying 1,098 career wins (eighth-most all time). He captured his lone NBA championship in 2004 with Detroit. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Indiana was the last stop in the coaching career for the legendary "Dr. Jack" Ramsay, who spent a little over two seasons with the Pacers from 1986-88. He tallied the final 79 of his 864 career wins with the Pacers and currently ranks 14th on the all-time wins list, just head of current Pacers head coach Carlisle. He was Reggie Miller's first NBA head coach.

Ramsay began his coaching career with stops in Philadelphia and Portland, but is best known for his decade in Portland, where he led the Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title in his first season and coached them back to the playoffs in eight of his next nine seasons. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Because this list was focused on NBA history it does not include the legendary Slick Leonard. Leonard is the winningest coach in franchise history, leading the Pacers to 529 wins from 1968-80. The majority of those victories came in the ABA, including three championships in 1970, 1972, and 1973. Leonard was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

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Two Pacers Coaches Named to NBA's Top 15 Coaches List

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Pacers Sports & Entertainment will host Boom Baby! The Life and Times of Bobby "Slick" Leonard, a public celebration of life for Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster Bobby "Slick" Leonard on May 12 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Tickets go on sale for $5.29 each at Pacers.com/Slick on Friday, May 7, at 10 a.m., with all proceeds going to the Dropping Dimes Foundation benefitting former ABA players and personnel. Attendance will be limited to 1,500 guests due to COVID protocols, but the celebration will also be livestreamed at Pacers.com/Slick for those unable to attend. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

"While we continue to mourn his passing and miss his always colorful presence, we look forward to offering a public farewell to one of the most impactful figures in our state's basketball history," said PS&E President Rick Fuson. "We also want to offer up one last 'Boom Baby' in Slick's honor."

Leonard, the Terre Haute native who led Indiana University to the 1953 national championship, coached the Pacers to three American Basketball Association titles and later served as the team's radio analyst, passed on April 13 at the age of 88.

Video tributes from former Pacers players and basketball dignitaries and clips from the 2014 WFYI Ted Green Films documentary "Heart of a Hoosier" will be featured. Mark Boyle, the Pacers' radio voice and Leonard's long-time broadcast partner, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Per the family's wishes, Leonard's calling and services were private and he was interred at Southlawn Cemetery in South Bend on April 22.

"Boom Baby" was Leonard's trademark radio call punctuating a made three-point field goal by a Pacers player. In addition to coaching the Pacers to the three ABA championships, Leonard and his wife, Nancy, also played major roles in keeping the Pacers in Indianapolis after the team encountered financial difficulties following the merger into the National Basketball Association.

For more information, please visit Pacers.com/Slick.

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Pacers Sports & Entertainment Honors Bobby "Slick" Leonard with May 12 Celebration of Life

The Indiana Pacers today announced they will wear a black stripe on their uniforms for the remainder of the season, a way to pay tribute to Bobby "Slick" Leonard, who passed away on April 13.

"Slick was one of the most instrumental people in making this franchise what it is today, a legend who made all our lives better through his passion and presence," said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. "We will miss him dearly, and this uniform stripe is just a reminder of what he has represented to the Indiana Pacers organization for more than fifty years."

The stripe will be worn on both home and away uniforms.

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Pacers to Wear Black Stripe to Honor Bobby 'Slick' Leonard

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Remembering Bobby "Slick" Leonard

Statement from Pacers Sports & Entertainment Owners Herb Simon, Steve Simon, and the Simon Family:
"Pacers fans will remember Bobby 'Slick' Leonard as the spirit of our franchise. With a charisma, intensity, and wit to match his nickname, Slick made us champions. He was our biggest fan and our most loving critic, and he personified Pacers basketball for generations of Hoosier families. Most importantly, though, Slick and Nancy are our family, and his passing leaves an unfillable void in the hearts of everyone associated with this organization. We keep the entire Leonard family in our prayers, and we recognize and honor Slick for what he meant to our state both on and off the court."

Statement from Larry Bird:
"To me, Slick was a real Hoosier, he loved the State and everyone that lives there. He was a great mentor to me and a friend that everyone should have. Slick will be greatly missed and remembered with respect and admiration forever. My family and I send our sincere condolences to Nancy and the Leonard family."

Statement from Reggie Miller:
"This one hurts Pacers Nation...So very saddened by the loss of a beloved human being in Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard. We all know how great a Coach you were in guiding the ABA Pacers to 3 Championships, but you were a much better friend. I will cherish every single one of our conversations and pass them along to my kids. Thinking of Nancy and the Leonard Family during this time."

RELATED: Remembering Bobby "Slick" Leonard »

Bobby "Slick" Leonard:
A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2014, Bobby "Slick" Leonard spent more than 50 years as a part of the Pacers organization, both as a championship-winning coach and a broadcaster. As Pacers’ head coach from 1968-1980, he won 529 games and three ABA championships and was later voted by a national sportswriters and broadcasters association as the ABA’s All-Time Coach.

Named one of Indiana's "50 Greatest Players" and a two-time All-American at Indiana University, Slick was captain of the Hoosiers' 1953 NCAA championship team and Big Ten Championship teams in 1953 and '54. He then served in the U.S. Army from 1954-56 before playing seven years in the NBA with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers and was named an All Star in 1963.

In addition to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Slick is enshrined in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and the Indiana Sports Writers and Broadcasters Hall of Fame and was the first person inducted into the Indiana University Sports Hall of Fame. He was also honored as a member of Indiana University's All-Century Basketball Team

Finally, Slick is one of just six individuals in Pacers history to have a banner raised in his honor. Hanging from the rafters of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the banner honors his 529 victories as coach of the Pacers and his contributions to the game.

Slick and his wife, Nancy, have five children, 12 grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

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Statements On The Passing of Bobby “Slick” Leonard

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Remembering the Pacers' First Championship, 50 Years Later

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Let's suppose, for a moment, the American Basketball Association had never been formed in 1967 and Bob Leonard had continued living in Kokomo, peddling graduation supplies and class rings to high schools throughout northern Indiana while raising a family with his wife, Nancy.

Let's suppose his coaching career with the Baltimore Bullets, which ended in 1964, had been the last time he drew a paycheck from a basketball team, and that he had simply drifted off into the "real world" life of a salesman.

What would we think of him today? What would be his reputation if he had never led the Pacers to ABA championships, never worked for the Pacers as a broadcast analyst, never achieved induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?

He'd still be a pretty big deal, actually.

"Slick" Leonard will be the next Hickory Night honoree on Saturday when the Pacers meet Dallas at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Generations of fans know him only as a broadcaster, whose homespun approach and trademarked exclamation of "Boom Baby" after every Pacers 3-point basket has made him a legend throughout the state. Older generations remember him for coaching the Pacers to three ABA championships and to the league finals in two other seasons, becoming a primary factor in the team's early survival.

Had Leonard's career in basketball never intersected with the ABA, however, if it had ended after he was fired as coach of the Baltimore Bullets in 1964, his place in Indiana's basketball history would be secure. He would still be in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, would still be deserving of Hickory recognition.

It would include a standout high school career at Terre Haute Gerstmeyer, where he curiously wasn't named to the Indiana All-Star team for the annual series with Kentucky (except as an alternate) but was good enough to lead his conference in scoring as a junior and senior and earn scholarship offers from the likes of Indiana University and the University of Kentucky.

It would include a career at IU in which he hit the game-winning free throw for the NCAA tournament championship in 1953 and earned third-team All-America honors as a junior and second-team recognition as a senior.

And, it would include seven-year playing career in the NBA that was cut short by a series of shoulder separations. Leonard retired at age 30 with a career average of 9.9 points, but a resume that included a 42-point outing for the Minneapolis Lakers in a playoff game against the St. Louis Hawks at the end of his rookie season (1956-57) and a 39-point game for the Chicago Packers in a regular season game at New York on Jan. 23, 1962, his last full season as a player.

All that would stand tall in the annals of Indiana's basketball tradition, even if he had never drawn a paycheck from the Pacers. It would have been a career beyond the realm of many who qualify as legends of Indiana basketball. In a sense, his coaching and broadcasting career with the Pacers has clouded his accomplishments as a player.

Photo Credit: Pacers Sports & Entertainment

It's difficult to believe anyone captures and encompasses the spirit of "Hickory" better than Leonard. A kid from the wrong side of the tracks, he grew up playing in driveways and playgrounds in Terre Haute, took his game to Bloomington, left the state for a professional career delayed two years by a peace-time stint in the Army, then returned to Kokomo to begin what he assumed would be a peaceful life after basketball.

The ABA sent him careening on an unanticipated path. He was asked to monitor the open tryout for the Pacers in June of 1967 and then hired as the Pacers' coach in 1968. His career with the franchise continues today, interrupted only by a couple of years in the early 1980s after his coaching career ended and before his broadcasting career began.

Before Leonard's 50-year run with the Pacers, two signature moments stand out that reflected what he would become as a player, coach and man.

In an outing for Gerstmeyer, he showed off both his "slick" and competitive nature. A teammate was fouled in the final seconds and was faced with the challenge of game-winning foul shots. But, according to an account in The Indianapolis News in later years, Leonard "shooed the offended Gerstmeyer player away from the line and the excited officials and opponents failed to notice the switch."

The pressure of that moment was nothing, however, compared to what Leonard faced at IU in the championship game of the 1953 NCAA tournament when the Hoosiers were playing defending champion Kansas, in Kansas City. The score was tied when Leonard drove to the basket and drew a foul with 27 seconds remaining. He missed his first attempt but hit the second for a 69-68 lead. Kansas missed a shot from the right corner on its final possession, and Leonard was carried off the court along with coach Branch McCracken.

Leonard freely admits to being "scared to death." He admitted it then, too. When reporters told him McCracken had bragged that his junior guard had ice water in his veins, he delivered one of his classic lines: "If that was ice water, it sure felt awful warm when it was running down my leg."

Leonard's competitive ferocity, bravado, poise, honesty and humor took him a long way in basketball. They've taken the Pacers a long way, too, and fans have gone along for the ride.

Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.

Mark Montieth's book on the formation and groundbreaking seasons of the Pacers, "Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis," is available in bookstores throughout Indiana and on Amazon.com.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Indiana Pacers. All opinions expressed by Mark Montieth are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Indiana Pacers, their partners, or sponsors.