The 1990s were a decade of fruition for the Pacers, a time when the labor of previous decades blossomed. The franchise didn't have to be saved by a telethon, as in 1977. It didn't have to be saved by a last-minute purchase by Mel and Herb Simon, as in 1983. General manager Donnie Walsh had constructed a core in the 1980s by drafting Chuck Person, Reggie Miller and Rik Smits, and continued to tinker until he put together a string of championship contenders led by two Hall of Famers, Larry Brown and Larry Bird.
The 90s, taken from start to finish, brought the franchise's greatest display of sustained excellence.