Without her, there may not be an Indiana Pacers.<\/p>\n
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton paid tribute to Nancy Leonard, the proclaimed \u201cFirst Lady of Indiana basketball,\u201d who died Wednesday at the age of 93.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore every game, I knew I could count on a wink and a smile behind the bench,\u201d Haliburton said in an X post Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no Pacers basketball without Nancy Leonard. Can\u2019t wait to see the day her name is in the rafters where it belongs. RIP to a legend and a beautiful soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyrese Haliburton celebrates an NBA Finals berth. X, @TyreseHaliburton<\/p>\n
Leonard and her husband, Bobby \u201cSlick\u201d Leonard, who died four years ago, are credited with saving Pacers basketball dating back to the ABA days when the league and teams struggled to stay afloat.<\/p>\n
She served as the team\u2019s assistant general manager from 1976-80.<\/p>\n
The First Lady of Indiana basketball. Before every game, I knew I could count on a wink and a smile behind the bench. There is no Pacers basketball without Nancy Leonard. Can\u2019t wait to see the day her name is in the rafters where it belongs. RIP to a legend and a beautiful soul\ud83d\udc9b pic.twitter.com\/tDvPOxNO2B<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) September 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Nancy Leonard is credited with saving the Pacers at a 1977 season ticket telethon. Vimeo<\/p>\n In 1977, Leonard saved the organization from economic collapse when she ran a season-ticket telethon broadcast on television.<\/p>\n \u201cQuite simply, we would not be here without her,\u201d Pacers Sports & Entertainment ownership said in a statement. \u201cFrom the earliest days of the franchise, Nancy poured her heart and soul into the team, not just as the wife of Slick Leonard, but as a female trailblazer who rallied the community when we needed it most.\u201d<\/p>\n Bob \u201cSlick\u201d Leonard of the Indiana Pacers. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n Former Pacer Scott Pollard, who played for the team from 2003-06, also paid his respects.<\/p>\n \u201cNancy was the first person to drive me around Indiana when I got traded there,\u201d Pollard posted to X on Wednesday afternoon. \u201cShe was my realtor but became a friend. What a wonderful legacy her and Slick created. Indiana as a state owes them a debt that cannot be repaid.\u201d<\/p>\n The Pacers made the NBA Finals last season and may have pulled the series upset against the Oklahoma City Thunder if not for Haliburton suffering a torn Achilles<\/a> in Game 7.<\/p>\n Haliburton will miss all of the 2025-26 season as he rehabs his injury, while the Pacers appear to re-tool their roster after letting Myles Turner walk in free agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t