NBA History: The best era for each of the 30 franchises

Indiana Pacers: 1993-2000

The Indiana Pacers were a consistent playoff participant throughout the 1990s, but four consecutive first-round exits had few believing in their ability to be more than that.

The turning point for this proud organization came in the summer of 1993 when they brought in Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown. Indiana underwent an immediate turnaround the following two seasons that resulted in back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals, both of which went the distance in what ultimately were losses for the Pacers.

Brown would only stay four years in the Hoosier State, but the Pacers managed to transition smoothly to their next head coach in Larry Bird. A Celtic legend, Bird won Coach of the Year honors in his very first season at the helm, guiding the Pacers back to the conference finals following a two-year hiatus that included one absence from the postseason altogether.

This one again, however, was decided in a Game 7 that wound up going in favor of the Chicago Bulls. Following another conference finals exit in 1999, this time to the eighth-seeded New York Knicks, many believed the Pacers simply weren’t destined to advance to a stage they’d never been to since transitioning to the NBA in 1976.

That notion changed during the 1999-2000 campaign where everything came together for Indiana. Reggie Miller made the last of his five All-Star appearances. Jalen Rose was named the league’s Most Improved Player by averaging 18.2 points per game.

Backed by a top-five offense led by that duo and a brand of physical defense that had come to define Pacers basketball, the franchise clawed their way to their first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals. A loss to the dynastic Los Angeles Lakers was a bitter ending, but not enough to completely sour the vindication of an endpoint few thought Indiana was capable of reaching.