How a Telethon Saved The Indiana Pacers
The story of Slick and Nancy Leonard’s last minute buzzer beater.
Image from the 1977 Save The Pacers Telethon
We used this story for an episode of Courtside Forever. You can listen to it below.
The Indiana Pacers shouldn't be here.
I'm not talking about the team in its current form but the franchise itself. After forming in 1967 and winning three titles in the ABA (the long-defunct professional basketball league), the Pacers moved their franchise to the NBA, which came at a steep cost.
In 1977, the Pacers were on the brink of financial ruin, unable to pay their staff to remain open. It would take a monumental effort to save the team, though thankfully, the franchise had two stars up to the task. If I may, let me tell you about Slick, Nancy, and the Telethon.
Indiana-born Bobby "Slick" Leonard played seven seasons in the NBA from 1956 to 1963 before becoming a player/coach in 1962, then joining the ABA Pacers during their second season after their inaugural coach started his second season 2-7.
Along with Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, and eventually George McGinnis, Slick led the franchise to a record five Championship appearances and three titles before the Pacers, Nets, Nuggets, and Spurs were absorbed into the NBA. While Brown, Daniels, McGinnis, and Slick have banners hanging in Gainbride Fieldhouse, Slick's wife, Nancy, might be the most important person in franchise history.
Indiana Native Nancy Root met Slick at Indiana University and married on June 15, 1954, the day after their college graduation. Nancy knew hoops, following Slick from Minnesota to LA, Chicago to Baltimore before settling back in Indiana. In fact, Nancy knew the game so well that in 1976, she became the first female General Manager in NBA history, almost by accident.
After the ABA merger, the Pacers were without a General Manager. In a meeting about the merger, regarding who would become the next GM, Nancy told the room, "I don't know what you guys are afraid of… It's just the NBA. We've been in the ABA for all these years. It's basically the same thing."
Someone then said, "Why don't you do it?" So she did.
Slick handled all basketball decisions, while Nancy led the office of 13 employees and attended league meetings. The Pacers' first year in the NBA wasn't a huge success on the court, and as a result, within a year, the team was in financial trouble.
While the move to the NBA energized their fanbase, leading to an increased average attendance from 7,615 to 10,129, the overhead costs associated with the NBA far outpaced what the franchise was used to in the ABA. In short, the franchise needed cash; without it, it would fold.
In a 2013 article titled "Nancy Leonard: The Driving Force Behind Slick, Pacers (Part 2)," longtime writer and de facto Pacers historian Mark Monteith writes, "Upon the conclusion of the first NBA season, when the Pacers finished 36-46, the ownership group announced it needed to sell 8,000 season tickets before the following season to have the operating capital to stay afloat. According to those who worked for the franchise then, it was a genuine crisis rather than a marketing ploy. The team's credit card had not been paid off and was no longer being accepted. Front office employees had gone without paychecks for between four and six weeks and were working in what Knapp describes as a climate of "constant tension and anxiety." Slick was brought in to give a locker room-like pep talk. Knapp, recalling it as "a straight shot of adrenaline," recorded it in case it needed to be replayed to re-energize the troops. Even the players had agreed to accept a delay in being paid..."
Looking at the numbers, the franchise would need to sell 8,000 season tickets to save the Pacers, and they didn't have long to sell them. How in the world would the struggling Midwest franchise save itself? Nancy suggested a good old-fashioned telethon.
What typically takes months to put together, Slick and Nancy threw together in a week. From the players to the staff, everybody chipped in. They rented the local convention center for free. Arby's donated food to the workers for free. Local kids brought piggy banks, including dimes, nickels, and pennies, helping contribute to the $30,000 local community members raised for the team. This was an all-day affair, taking every ounce of energy put forth by the Pacers organization to save their team.
As they approached their goal with time running out, the Pacers were making progress, though eventually somebody noticed a calculating error. "We had a tabulation error of 822 season tickets – and we just found it," Slick said. The Pacers were short 1,270 tickets with less than two hours to go.
Pacers players continued to man the phones. Slick continued to motivate the audience as he would his team. Indiana's Governor, Indianapolis' Mayor, and Indiana University's Bobby Knight all chipped in.
Then, with minutes until the telethon was over, an emotional Nancy grabbed the mic. "Bob, we're at 8,028."
The convention room erupted as fans and staff celebrated another year of Pacers basketball. Nancy buried her head into Slick's chest, overcome with emotions for what they had just accomplished, saving the future of professional sports in Indianapolis, one call at a time.
Slick would go on to coach the Pacers for another three seasons before shifting to his iconic role as the Pacers radio analyst in the mid-80s, popularizing his now famous catchphrase, "Boom Baby!" whenever a Pacers player hit a three-pointer.
Nancy went on to do real estate in the Indianapolis area, though she remained one of the most dedicated fans in Fieldhouse history, sitting close to the court, cheering on the likes of Reggie Miller, Jermaine O'Neal, Paul George, and more as Slick called games from the booth.
In 1983, Herb Simon and his brother Mel bought the Indiana Pacers for $11 million, yet again saving the franchise from possible relocation. Though Mel passed in 2009, Herb still owns the team along with his son, Steve, and according to Forbes, the Pacers franchise now has a value estimated at $2.9 billion.
Unfortunately, in 2021, after 66 years of marriage, Bobby "Slick" Leonard passed away. He was 88. Nancy can still be seen at Pacers games, and at the beginning of the 24-25 season, the Pacers honored the Leonards by featuring Slick's infamous "Boom Baby!" catchphrase on their In-Season Tournament court. Not to mention, their marketing department incorporated Nancy in the video rollout for the court. Even the Pacers G-League team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, rebranded in 2025 and changed their name to the Noblesville Boom, paying homage to the Leonards and their dedication to the team.
Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Rick Carlisle should all get their flowers for the work they've put into the 24-25 Pacers season. Watching Aaron Nesmith's put-back dunks and Andrew Nembhard's lockdown defense gets me so hyped as a fan. But anytime I see Gainbridge Fieldhouse rocking, whether that's because of a Tyrese Haliburton dime or a Caitlin Clark logo three, I can't help but think about the Save The Pacers Telethon of 1977 that kept Hoosier Hysteria alive and well in Indiana.
You know the players. You know the game. You know about the rivalries that put the Indiana Pacers on the map. But next time you think about the Indiana Pacers, I hope you remember Nancy's perseverance, Slick's passion, and how one couple saved their team and transformed the city of Indianapolis forever.