Nate Feltman: Indianapolis is the ‘land of opportunity’

The city and state feel alive with positive energy and community spirit, the kind of energy and enthusiasm a winning hometown sports team brings. The Indiana Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals for only the second time in franchise history has the city abuzz and basketball fans across the state excited for the possibility of a history-making outcome, an NBA championship. For a basketball-crazy state, that would be the ultimate prize.

Few things today can bring people together like sports. No matter your political beliefs or walk of life, a winning team can initiate conversations or a high-five among complete strangers. When city leaders decades ago decided to bet on sports as a way to bring economic vitality to our city and region, they also knew the power of sports to bring people together.

What we are experiencing today is the vision of former Mayor Bill Hudnut, Jim Morris, Dave Frick, Ted Boehm and many others who helped lay the groundwork for Indy’s rise as a major league sports city. But that vision and goal almost had a devastating setback.

In 1983, the Indiana Pacers were a relatively new NBA franchise as a result of the ABA-NBA 1976 merger, but one that was struggling financially. There was great fear that the city could lose its only major league franchise to an out-of-town buyer that would move the team to a different city. City leaders knew that loss would be a big blow to an ambitious city’s psyche and certainly to the goal of building a city around the sports and convention business.

Last year, Pacers owner Herb Simon described the situation during his Naismith Hall of Fame acceptance speech and in more detail on my Indiana 250 Off the Record podcast.

Herb and his brother Mel were in the midst of building and growing their real estate shopping mall company (now known as Simon Property Group). The Simons were New York natives. Mel Simon arrived in Indianapolis first as a result of his service in the U.S. Army, when he was stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison. Herb recalls his brother Mel calling to tell him that he needed to move to Indianapolis, describing Indy as “the land of opportunity.” Herb eventually did, and in 1983, along with Mel, took a meeting at the request of Mayor Hudnut.

Hudnut was joined by Jim Morris, David Frick and Ted Boehm. Morris served as the city’s spokesman. He explained that a deal to sell the Pacers to a group from Sacramento, California, was in the works, and he asked the Simon brothers to step in and buy the team from the current owners, who wanted out after years of losses. In a meeting Herb describes as lasting no more than 20-30 minutes, Mel and Herb agreed to buy the Pacers for $11 million with no due diligence and no experience in the sports business. According to Herb, it’s “sometimes better to be lucky than smart.”

Now 42 years later, Herb Simon is the longest-tenured owner in NBA history. He credits Morris and city leaders for their ability to understand just how important a role sports could play in building a great city. He also credits Mel for providing him the best advice he ever received: “Move to Indianapolis, the land of opportunity.”

So glad you did, Herb. Let’s go Pacers!•

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Feltman is publisher of IBJ and CEO of IBJ Media. Send comments to nfeltman@ibj.com.