NBA game at IU had a college feel

It was an NBA game, but it had an IU feel.

Friday’s Pacers preseason game against the Spurs at Assembly Hall was the first NBA game in Bloomington since 1972.

It combined the enthusiasm of college and professional basketball – an NBA game in a college arena.

One example came right before the fourth quarter. The IU cheerleaders ran out with flags spelling “IU” and “Hoosiers,” but another set spelled out “Pacers.”

The Big Red band played “Our Indiana.”

Some fans wore Pacers jerseys, but others kept on their IU sweatshirts.

The Pacemates performed during time-outs, but it was the local cheers that warmed the crowd.

Student tickets sold for $10, and 8,025 fans filled Assembly Hall for the game.

Rookie power forward Tyler Hansbrough graduated from UNC last year and enjoyed coming back to a student crowd.

“It’s always cool to come back to an atmosphere like this,” he said.

Wake Forest grad and Spurs power forward Tim Duncan also liked being in the student environment.

“It always feels like basketball is more pure in these situations,” Duncan said.

Indiana native and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he enjoyed his homecoming. Originally from East Chicago, Ind., “Pop,” as he’s known in the league, said he still has friends in the state.

Like his star power forward, he appreciated the change of setting.

“We get tired of the same arenas in the NBA,” Popovich said.

He said when the team comes to Indiana, they usually try to stop by Hinckle Fieldhouse at Butler University in Indianapolis.

“You’re probably too young to know what that is,” he said.

The crowd jeered Pacers power forward and former Blue Devil Josh McRoberts, a 2005 graduate of Carmel High School. But the cool reception didn’t faze McRoberts.

“They hate me a lot,” he said. “I know that. I’m used to it. It makes me feel at home.”

Former IUPUI player and Spurs guard George Hill received a warm reception following the game, with family and friends surrounding him afterward. 

Larry Bird, Pacers president of basketball operations, returned to Bloomington.
He first came to IU in 1973, but was intimidated by the school’s size – the enrollment of 33,000 was more than 15 times the size of his hometown of French Lick, Ind.

IU fans were receptive to Larry Legend on Friday night. With nine minutes remaining the fourth quarter, the south section of Assembly Hall began chanting “Larry Bird.”

They continued cheering throughout the fourth quarter.

Hansbrough said none of his Duke teammates have given him flak for his alma mater. He said he doubts that will change once the college basketball season starts in November.

“We’re Pacers now,” he said.