Former Indiana University standout and Indiana Pacers coaching legend Bob Leonard died Tuesday at the age of 88.
Leonard was a two-time All-American at Indiana in 1953 and 1954. He scored 12 points and made the winning free throw in the Hoosiers’ 69-68 win over Kansas in the 1953 national championship game.
“He has meant as much as anyone in the state of Indiana when it comes to the game of basketball,” Indiana head basketball coach Mike Woodson said in a statement. “He played the game with great flair. He coached with undeniable passion. His smile put everyone at ease.
“The man was a champion through and through, whether it was with the Pacers organization or at Indiana University. Without question, he was a Hall of Fame human being.”
Leonard played seven seasons in the NBA, the first five with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers.
He coached the Indiana Pacers from 1968-1980, winning three ABA titles, and guided the team into the NBA in 1976 when the ABA and NBA merged. He was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
“To me, Slick was a real Hoosier, he loved the State and everyone that lives there,” Indiana basketball legend and one-time Pacer coach Larry Bird said in a statement released by the Pacers. “He was a great mentor to me and a friend that everyone should have. Slick will be greatly missed and remembered with respect and admiration forever. My family and I send our sincere condolences to Nancy and the Leonard family.”
Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement he was heartbroken by Leonard’s passing.
“He was a Hoosier basketball legend, but more than anything, he was a Hoosier legend," Dolson said. "Slick has been one of our state’s most beloved basketball figures for seven decades, someone who loved the game and dedicated his life to it. In addition to loving the sport of basketball, Slick and Nancy also loved IU. There was no alum that I enjoyed seeing more when he returned for a game than him. His stories were priceless and endless. He will be dearly missed.”
He won 529 games as the Pacers’ coach and was selected as the ABA’s all-time coach.
Leonard joined the Pacers’ broadcast team in 1985, where he became known for his signature phrase “Boom, baby!” after a made 3-pointer by a Pacer player.
