Up for auction: Bittersweet story of former Pacer Roger Brown

Reggie Miller called him "the greatest Pacer of them all." Julius Erving said he "was the class of the class."

But for former Indiana Pacer Roger Brown, getting to that point of basketball greatness, is a bittersweet story -- a story that can be told through a collection of items up for auction over the next three days.

There are memories tinged with sadness buried in that collection, of a time when Brown was banned from the game he loved.

There are items, too, that recall the brighter days of Brown's basketball career -- when he was the first player signed by the newly formed ABA Pacers in 1967, winning three championships with the team and his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

A postcard, a program, a jersey and Brown's Hall of Fame enshrinement jacket are among the items up for auction. Potential buyers can bid on Brown's items through 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Winning bidders will get a piece of a player, who spent his entire career in the ABA, most of it with the Pacers, because the NBA wanted nothing to do with him.

It was 1961 when word leaked that Brown -- a 6-5 forward/guard from Brooklyn, New York, who had signed to play for the University of Dayton -- had been introduced to a gambler.

That gambler was Jack Molinas, who was involved in illegal point shaving. Brown was never accused of point shaving himself and his only mistake was associating with Molinas, according to reports. Still, he was banned from the NCAA and the NBA.

Brown was left to play basketball in the amateur leagues of Dayton, Ohio. He worked and played ball at the General Motors plant. Up for auction is a white size XL T-shirt that Brown wore for that GM team. It features Brown's name and number on the back. That same number, 35, would go on to be retired by the Pacers. The starting bid for the shirt is $100.

Another token of Brown's amateur days is a 1965 program that honors the seven divisional winners of the Dayton Amateur Basketball Commission for the season.

During that time, the "Rajah," as Brown was known, showcased his skills for the Class AA champion Jones Brothers Morticians team. Brown is listed on the Jones Brothers team, which was coached by Azariah Smith, who along with his wife Arlena, gave Brown a home as he tried to get through his years of exile from basketball. Starting bid for the program is $20.

After six years of gracing those amateur programs, Brown turned pro, as the Pacers' first draft pick in 1967. He rewarded the team with seven years of play, four All-Star Game selections, three ABA titles and an ABA Finals MVP award in 1970.

One of the more touching auction items of Brown's is a postcard he sent to Azariah and Arlena Smith. It is postmarked November 1968, and was sent by Brown from Dallas after a Pacers win over the Chaparrals. In the card, Brown writes: "We won a game at last. How is everybody? I have been hurt. Tell Sharleen I said Hi and and I mean Hi. See you later, Your Son, Roger. P.S. The Best one of them all." The card's starting bidis $35.

During Brown's eight-year (1967-75) ABA career, he played for the Pacers, Memphis Sounds and Utah Stars, scoring 10,498 points. The NBA later reinstated Brown but he never played in the league. Brown was one of seven players unanimously selected to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997. He is one of four players (the others are Reggie Miller, George McGinnis and Mel Daniels) to have his jersey number retired by the Pacers.

After basketball, Brown served as a Republican on the Indianapolis City Council for four years. He was diagnosed with liver cancer in 1996 and died the following year at 54.

In September 2013, Brown was inducted posthumously into the Naismith Hall of Fame, elected by the Hall's ABA Committee.

His Hall of Fame enshrinement jacket is up for auction and has a starting bid of $150. The custom-tailored size 40 features an embroidered "Hall of Fame Enshrinee" logo on the left breast and "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2013- Roger Brown" embroidered on the inside of the jacket.

Follow Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow.