January 26, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS – In celebration of the 45th anniversary of the American Basketball Association’s (ABA) founding, the Indiana Pacers will be one of nine teams to participate in a series of games wearing retro uniforms during NBA Hardwood Classics Month.

The Pacers will be wearing the blue road uniforms from the 1971-74 seasons for eight games, beginning with the Jan. 31 game against the New Jersey Nets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The remaining games and dates are listed below. Also beginning on the 31st, fans will be able to purchase select current Pacers players jerseys in the retro style at Home Court Gift Shop at the Fieldhouse or online at PacersGear.com.

The Pacers were part of the ABA from 1967 to 1976, and then along with three other teams – Denver Nuggets, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs – they joined the NBA. This season is their 35th Anniversary since joining the league.

In addition to Indiana, eight other teams - the Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets and San Antonio Spurs – will recognize the anniversary by wearing commemorative uniforms and hosting special in-arena events.

The uniforms, made in conjunction with adidas, the league’s official outfitter, will feature designs from the team’s storied past or as originally worn by the former ABA franchises in their geographic region - Charlotte Bobcats (Carolina Cougars), Los Angeles Clippers (Los Angeles Stars), Memphis Grizzlies (Memphis Tams), Miami Heat (Miami Floridians), Minnesota Timberwolves (Minnesota Muskies), New Jersey Nets (New York Nets) and San Antonio Spurs (Texas Chaparrals).

NBA Hardwood Classics Month will run through the month of February and will feature 38 games with 6 televised nationally on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV.

The Pacers schedule of Hardwood Classics games is:

Date Opponent Both Teams in Retro Jerseys 1/31 New Jersey No 2/1 at Minnesota Yes 2/11 Denver Nuggets Yes 2/16 New Jersey Nets No 2/19 Charlotte Bobcats Yes 2/22 at Charlotte Bobcats Yes 3/26 Miami Heat Yes 3/31 at San Antonio Spurs Yes

Tickets can be purchased at Pacers.com, Bankers Life Fieldhouse Box Office, Ticketmaster locations or (800) 4-NBA-TIX. For the first Pacers season ever, fans purchasing online can bypass Will Call by printing their tickets at home for free via the TicketFast delivery option.