Nancy Leonard, long regarded as the heart of the Indiana Pacers organization and wife of former coach and general manager Bobby “Slick” Leonard, died Monday night at age 93, her family announced Tuesday.
Key Executive During NBA Transition
From 1976 to 1980, Leonard served as the Pacers’ assistant general manager, overseeing much of the team’s administrative work while her husband guided the roster. The couple shared front-office duties when Indiana shifted from the ABA to the NBA in 1976.
Rescued Franchise With 1977 Telethon
Facing severe financial strain the following year, the Leonards organized a season-ticket telethon in 1977 that kept the franchise solvent. Family members and team officials credit Nancy Leonard with conceiving the fundraising effort that ultimately preserved professional basketball in Indianapolis.
Lifetime Presence Courtside
Even as her health declined in recent months, Leonard attended games throughout the Pacers’ 2024-25 season, including the club’s run to the 2025 NBA Finals. In a statement, her children remembered her as the team’s “No. 1 fan.”
Guard Tyrese Haliburton honored her on X, writing, “Before every game, I knew I could count on a wink and a smile behind the bench… There is no Pacers basketball without Nancy Leonard.”
Family Legacy
Bobby Leonard, who later spent decades as a broadcaster and entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, died in April 2021. The couple’s partnership both on and off the court remains a cornerstone of the Pacers’ history.
Source: ESPN
