Indiana Pacers 50th Anniversary: All-Decade Team, 1977-87

Herb Williams

Statistics: 15.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 APG

Herb Williams was the first of two consecutive Pacers first-round draft picks from Ohio State University (the other, Clark Kellogg, also made this list).

Williams mostly played the center position for Indiana and he was a proficient scorer in the post, as well as a quality shot-blocker. His best statistical season was in 1985-86 when he averaged 19.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest.

After seven productive seasons for the Pacers, Williams was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline in 1989. That transaction brought Detlef Schrempf and Antonio Davis to Indiana, who were both key members of the team during the next few years.

Herb Williams went on to enjoy a very long career in pro basketball, playing in the NBA for 18 years before retiring at age 40.

Next: 25 Greatest ABA Players of All-Time

The Indiana Pacers didn’t have much team success during their second decade of existence, but Herb Williams contributed a great deal to the franchise during the 1980s and helped lay the foundation for what was to come.