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Signing with the Indiana Pacers after a good college career at Davidson, Don Buse would emerge as one of the best defensive Guards of the mid to late 70s. Buse was a role player as a rookie on Indiana's 1973 ABA Championship Team, and he would see more playing time when Freddie Lewis was traded to the Memphis Sounds. Buse was the best Guard when it came to putting the rock in the bucket, but he was an excellent distributor and was a gem on defense. In the last two seasons of the ABA’s existence, Buse was a First Team All-ABA Selection, and in the latter year, he was an ABA All-Star and a Second Team All-ABA Selection. Not only that, Buse would lead the league in Steals and Assists.
An original Indiana Pacer, Bob Netolicky, signed with the new team as opposed to the San Diego Rockets, who chose him in the Second Round.
Freddie Lewis played just one season with the Cincinnati Royals backing up Hall of Famer, Oscar Robertson, before being chosen by the San Diego Rockets in the Expansion Draft. Rather than report to the Rockets, he joined the Pacers of the ABA in their inaugural season, where he was a starter bouncing from the Point and Shooting Guard position. Lewis was an ABA All-Star three times (1968, 1970 & 1972) and was the lynchpin to their dynasty that would win three ABA Titles in four seasons. The Guard was traded to the Memphis Sounds after the 1973-74 Season but returned for one final season in Indiana, who was now in the NBA before retiring for good.
Detlef Schrempf will always be best remembered in the NBA as a Seattle SuperSonic, but his American stardom really began in the state of Indiana.