George McGinnis, Indiana basketball legend, passes away at age 73
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – George McGinnis, an all-time great in the state of Indiana, both in the game of basketball and otherwise, passed away early Thursday morning, according to a release from the Indiana Pacers. He was 73.
McGinnis suffered from complications of a cardiac arrest last week at his home. He was then taken to Community North Hospital, where a group of family, friends and former teammates maintained a vigil until his passing, the release said.
"I loved George McGinnis," Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson said in a statement. "He meant so much not only to IU and the state of Indiana, but to the entire basketball world. I looked up to George growing up in Indianapolis. He meant so much more to me as a player and more importantly as a man. George was a Hall of Famer on and off the court, and I'm going to miss him so much.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the McGinnis family, his friends and his teammates. Rest easy Big Mac."
Standing 6-foot-8 and every bit of 235 pounds, McGinnis redefined the "power forward" position. On the hardwood floor, there was no one stronger, no one more capable than "Big George."
A champion at all levels in the game of basketball, McGinnis was dominant at Indianapolis Washington High School in the late 1960's. In 1969, he and teammate Steve Downing led Washington to an unbeaten mark of 31-0, where McGinnis set an Indiana state tournament scoring record, notching 148 points in the final four games of the tournament. He earned Mr. Basketball honors in the state and was tabbed as Mr. Basketball USA for the year.
Up until 1972, freshmen were ineligible to play due to NCAA ruling. So, the McGinnis shine at Indiana would then have to wait until the 1970-71 season, where he became the first sophomore to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding, averaging 29.9 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Named an AP Third Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten honoree, McGinnis departed for professional basketball following the conclusion of his sophomore season.
Just earlier this year, McGinnis was enshrined in the Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame.
From there, McGinnis would go on to shine with the ABA's Indiana Pacers, where he'd quickly rack up more accolades and acclaim in a state he'd been so frequent about doing so in.
McGinnis was a member of the ABA All-Rookie First Team in 1972, 2x ABA champion in '72 and '73, the ABA's playoff MVP in '73, ABA MVP in '75. He was a 3x ABA All-Star, scoring champion in '75, 2x member of the All-ABA First Team, and named to the ABA All-Time Team – all before or leading up to 1975.
In the NBA, McGinnis spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets before finishing his career back with the Pacers. He was a 3X NBA All-Star in the Association, a member of the All-NBA First Team in 1976 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1977. McGinnis' No. 30 hangs from the rafters of Gainbridge Fieldhouse as retired by the Pacers, and he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2017.
He was the seventh person with IU ties to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining Bobby "Slick" Leonard, Isiah Thomas, Everett Dean, Bob Knight, Branch McCracken and Walt Bellamy.
“From his all-state high school days to his time as an IU All-American and, of course, to his legendary ABA championship runs with the Pacers, George McGinnis shaped so many of the fondest basketball memories for generations of Hoosiers," the Simon Family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment said in a statement. "He was the very definition of an Indiana basketball legend, a champion, and Hall of Fame athlete.
"But he was more than that. George was family. A passionate advocate for his fellow ABA players and a present, smiling face around the franchise, George has been as synonymous with our Pacers franchise as anyone. He will be greatly missed, and all of us at Pacers Sports & Entertainment will keep George and his family in our prayers.”
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