Pacers Notebook: Myles Turner brings smiles to hundreds of kids
Turner signs autographs. Mad Ants to host playoff game. NFL happily takes Christmas Day from NBA. Siakam honored for the fourth straight week.
Happy April 1st — aka April Fools’ Day.
I also know it as the birthday for former Pacers point guard Mark Jackson.
We all have the one player we liked and followed closely, and for me it was Jackson. He was a point guard and delivered spectacular passes, wore my favorite number (13), had some flare to him and was part of winning teams.
For those reasons and more, Jackson was always fun to watch.
Just two weeks remain in the NBA season and the Pacers (42-33) are in sixth in the East — and still looking to gain ground.
If they remain in sixth, they’re guaranteed a playoff spot for the first time since 2020. Otherwise, if they finish in spots 7 through 10, they’ll have a play-in game. No, that does not count as reaching the playoffs.
They have seven games left in the regular season, beginning on Monday at home against the Brooklyn Nets.
Coming off a big win Friday night over the LA Lakers, the Pacers took the weekend off. That’s two days in a row, a rarity. But also much appreciated.
This late into the season, no player is 100%. They all are sore, bruised and mentally fried. A recharge like they received over the weekend can really help power them through the end of the regular season.
On Saturday, Myles Turner spent part of his afternoon 30 minutes north of downtown at Ascension St. Vincent Fishers. They are a major partner of the franchise and even have their name on the team’s practice facility.
It’s also across I-69 from the construction site of the Noblesville Events Center, which will be home to the Indiana Mad Ants — their G League affiliate — beginning in 2025. An estimated 70,000 cars pass by this area every single day.
Hundreds of Pacers fans were outside the hospital on a gorgeous afternoon. It was 78 degrees and sunny. And inside, from 3 to 4 p.m., the longest-tenured current Pacer was inside meeting with fans and signing autographs.
And as fans waited in line outside, there were plenty of activities to enjoy.
There was a DJ, several photo opportunities, a chance to meet four Pacemates, win prizes and shoot hoops on a blow-up goal like you’d see at a festival.
This was a festival for the hospital group and Turner was the attraction that helped bring everyone there.
Turner, who celebrated his 28th birthday last week, thrives in these situations. He was grateful for them, for their ongoing support and loyalty. He has lots of experience around fans, both for being a nine-year vet and because he’s had his own fan section for many years. This is normal for him.
For an hour, fans each got the chance to say hi to Turner and then have him sign one item.
“Just being out in the community with the fans means a great deal to me because a lot of these fans just get to see us on TV,” he said afterward. “They don't really necessarily get to see us in person so it’s just a different type of energy and interaction with them. I enjoy immersing myself in the community here in Indianapolis because they’ve taken me in since I’ve been here.”