INDIANAPOLIS – One of the founders of the Indiana Pacers died Thursday.
Mike Storen died of cancer at the age of 84, according to his daughter, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm.
Storen was one of the founders of the Pacers in 1967, and became their first general manager. He was responsible for the name “Pacers,” the blue and gold colors, and the team playing in the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum.
In the team’s second year, he signed Bobby “Slick” Leonard as their head coach. He also brought in Mel Daniels, who would eventually be an all-star, an American Basketball Association champion and MVP.
After two years with the Pacers, Storen bought the Kentucky Colonels in 1969. The Pacers would beat the Colonels that year for the ABA Championship.
Storen then became the commissioner of the ABA in 1973, after seeing the team he started win its third ABA title. He’s credited with helping the ABA eventually merge with the NBA.
In the 1980s and 90s, Storen became commissioner of three more minor leagues — the Continental Basketball Association, the Global Basketball Association, and the Indoor Professional Football League. He was also the general manager of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks at one point.
The Pacers released a statement late Thursday night, saying “It is impossible to overstate the impact Storen had on our franchise and the American Basketball Association.”
