While Paul George may have had better seasons after he left Indiana, it can’t be forgotten that he cut his teeth as a Pacer and developed his All-Star form there.  The blunt truth is that he became one hell of a player in Basketball's Heartland.

The Indiana Pacers fanbase was scratching their heads when their team traded for Jermaine O'Neal and gave up Dale Davis to get him.  O'Neal had been in the NBA for four years and had only started 18 Games for Portland, averaging only 11.5 Minutes per Game, so why would they trade for him?

Here's why.

The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Billy Knight, but the Indiana Pacers of the ABA also chose him.  It was the latter where he elected to sign.  He would immediately become the starting Small Forward, where he would make All-Rookie honors with a Points per Game Average of 17.1.  He followed that up with the best season of his life, increasing his Points per Game Average by double digits (28.1) and averaging a double-double with 10.1 boards.  This was the last season of the American Basketball Association, and he exited with a bang with an All-Star Game and First Team All-ABA nod.