Indiana Pacers: 25 Best Players To Play For The Pacers
By Phil Watson
PG-SG. 1972-77, 1980-82. Don Buse. 11. player. 100. <strong>How Acquired: </strong>Trade, Virginia Squires, April 11, 1972; Trade, Phoenix Suns, Nov. 25, 1980.
Don Buse was the type of big guard that NBA teams loved in the early 1970s. But Buse opted to start his career in the ABA.
The Indiana Pacers acquired the draft rights for Buse, a fifth-round pick by the Virginia Squires in the 1972 ABA Draft, in April 1972 in a straight cash deal (a popular thing for the perennially nearly bankrupt Squires).
Buse was a reserve as a rookie as the Pacers returned to the ABA Finals for the second straight year. He played in five of the seven games in the series, averaging 2.2 points per game, in Indiana’s seven-game win over the Kentucky Colonels that gave it back-to-back titles.
Buse became a starter in his third season and was a two-time ABA All-Defensive selection and an All-ABA pick in 1975-76, when he was also named to the ABA All-Star Game.
He led the ABA in assists, steals and minutes per game in 1975-76, finishing second in three-pointers and fourth in three-point percentage.
Buse helped the Pacers back to the ABA Finals in 1975, playing all five games and averaging 3.6 points per game in Indiana’s five-game loss to the Colonels.
In the summer of 1976, the Pacers were admitted to the NBA and Buse kept rolling along, leading the NBA in assists and steals in 1976-77 while earning an All-Star bid and an All-Defensive nod.
He was traded to the Phoenix Suns in September 1977 in exchange for Ricky Sobers.
The teams made another swap in November 1980 that brought Buse back to the Pacers in exchange for second-round picks in 1981 and 1982.
He led the NBA in three-pointers in 1981-82, placing fifth in three-point percentage.
Unsigned through the summer of 1982, Buse eventually signed as a veteran free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers in January 1983, with the Pacers receiving cash and consultation services of Blazers vice president John Spoelstra as compensation (no, seriously).
In parts of seven seasons in Indiana, Buse averaged 7.7 points, 5.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 29.1 minutes per game, shooting .434/.343/.784.
Buse averaged 16.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a senior at Evansville and besides being picked by Virginia, he was also a third-round selection by the Suns in the 1972 NBA Draft.
With the Suns, he was a three-time All-Defensive selection, finishing fifth in the NBA in steals in 1977-78.
Waived by Portland in August 1983, Buse signed with the Kansas City Kings in September 1983, retiring after the 1984-85 season.
He is the ABA’s all-time leader with an average of 2.7 steals per game and is third in ABA history with 658 steals and ninth with a three-point percentage of .327.
Buse is also 33rd in the history of the NBA with an average of 1.8 steals per game.
Next: Sixth Man Extraordinaire