Zak Keefer

zak.keefer@indystar.com

Like his previous projects, this one pulled him in from the start. Sixteen months and countless hours later, interviews in tow with a murderer's row of basketball royalty — Larry Bird, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West among them — and award-winning Indianapolis filmmaker Ted Green has finished his latest work.

The documentary's subject needs no introduction to Hoosiers.

His story, however, may.

Green, a former Indianapolis Star editor, will premiere his latest documentary, "Bobby 'Slick' Leonard: Heart of a Hoosier," at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The viewing is open to the public, and parking will be free in the Delaware Street garage. Tickets are available online and at the door for $5.29 — an ode to Leonard's 529 wins as Pacers coach.

Leonard, along with wife Nancy, will be in attendance, along with former Pacers Mel Daniels, George McGinnis, Bob Netolicky and Darnell Hillman.

The 90-minute film unearths Leonard's underprivileged upbringing in Terre Haute during the Great Depression, his All-American career at IU and, of course, the franchise he came to define as a coach and broadcaster: the Indiana Pacers.

Leonard will enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 8.

It is Green's third release since 2012, following the well-received "Naptown to Super City" and "Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story."

Here, in Green's own words, is the story of how "Heart of a Hoosier" came together:

Q: Why Slick?

I'd gotten to know Bob pretty well in my recent work — he appeared in three of my four previous films with WFYI — and was increasingly struck by how beloved the guy is. Not just admired for his skill as an announcer or coach or player, but truly beloved for who he is, what he represents. I don't know that I've ever seen the like of that in my 25 years in journalism. In the simplest sense, that's what this film is all about: to discover the why of it.

And in the end — and hence the title — I believe it's all about heart. His heart as a competitor, absolutely, but also on a personal level, as a family man, as a guy who treats everyone with dignity no matter their walk of life. He came from next to nothing, accomplished so much but still remains that same ole Hoosier from the avenues of Terre Haute. That hit home with me and (WFYI editor Pete Saetre) and we try to celebrate it.

Q: When did you decide to actively pursue this as your next film?

Basically the day after the Roger Brown film premiered in February 2013. I was concerned at first that the films might look too much alike — there would necessarily be some overlap in the casts — but really, they're very different. Roger was part investigation, part introduction of this amazing artist who'd been lost to history for all the wrong reasons. With Bob it's more of a rags-to-riches story, but one that we believe — corny as it may sound — has enriched the whole state. To steal words from Richard Lugar, Bob "exemplifies the progress we've made but also the great joy we've had." I couldn't agree more.

Q: All told, how long did the project take — and what were some of the biggest hurdles along the way?

We started in early March 2013 and have been tweaking until the bitter end. I wouldn't want to count the hours, but most have been fun.

The hurdles were the typical stuff for pieces that go back a ways — mostly trying to find footage and other imagery to bring the early parts to life. There were so many dead-ends, but I'm delighted to say we were able to unearth a ton of great stuff — including 60-, even 70-year-old footage that's either never been published or hasn't been viewed in decades. I do think viewers might be surprised by some of that. Quick tease: Bob was a hell of a player, too.

Q: Who are some of your favorite interviews that are included in the documentary?

Hard to say, because even the big stars were marvelous, which isn't always the case. I mean Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Tommy John — all of those guys love Bob, and all gave personal and revealing interviews.

But I think my favorite was with Denny Stevens, one of Bob's closest friends in high school and a teammate on the basketball team. Denny was right there with Bob when so many people in Terre Haute were going through tough times, and saw his struggles and successes first-hand. And like Bob, he wears his heart on his sleeve, good or bad. Denny lives outside Chicago, and driving back from that interview I remember thinking, damn, we really have something here.

Q: What did you find about Slick in the research phase that most surprised you, and what might most surprise viewers who only know him as the 'Boom Baby' guy?

Again, how good of a player he was is a big one. I truly had no idea. I was also surprised by how deeply his roots go into the history of the game. He has personal stories with guys from John Wooden and George Mikan all the way up to the present. Funny stories, sad stories — just stories. I could listen to them all day.

But I think the biggest surprise, and certainly the most moving thing for me and Pete, was learning about Bob's childhood, and seeing how easily — but for the help of a lot of great people — he could have gone the wrong way and none of this would have happened. Instead, he takes those lessons and goes the other way, the right way, and becomes such a galvanizing force everywhere he's been. Look at those ABA Pacers — you won't find a better example of team-as-family.

That's why we're really hoping people will come out to the Fieldhouse on Tuesday for the premiere. No one's making any money off of it — tickets are five bucks, parking is free. We're just hoping for a feel-good sendoff, maybe even a thank you, for the Leonard family before they head out to the Hall of Fame induction on Aug. 8. A heartfelt sendoff for a guy who's meant a hell of a lot around here for a long time.

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.