Earlier today, the Indiana Pacers announced the team will wear special Hickory Pacers jerseys in honor of the 1986 film’s 30th anniversary to commemorate the year. Hoosiers is a movie that has become synonymous with Indiana basketball, and the team will wear the jerseys in select games this season and over the next few years to showcase their appreciation for the film.
Point guard George Hill posted a photo on Instagram modeling the “Hoosiers”-themed jersey, which will be worn at an undetermined number of games over the next several seasons.
So….ya. A fictional team high school team is now part of every day NBA uniforms. MGM’s Hoosiers, which premiered in 1986, was inspired by the 1954 Indiana High School state champion team from tiny Milan. It was written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh, both Indiana natives, and starred Gene Hackman as Coach Norman Dale, and is widely regarded as one of the best sports movies of all time.
The Hickory uniforms are a tribute to the rich tradition of basketball in the State of Indiana and will serve as inspiration to fans everywhere in Indiana that are familiar with the movie. Pacers marketing executive Todd Taylor came up with the idea of putting his team in the Hickory uniforms and worked with MGM, which produced the film, to make it happen.
“Obviously, we revere the film, but more importantly we believe our organization, especially our players, embody the core message of the story – by coming together as a team, there is nothing that can’t be accomplished,” Taylor said in a press release.
#HickoryPacers: https://t.co/8M7DjI3iy8 pic.twitter.com/fFOm5uZMok
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 21, 2015
