Latest news with #HerbSimon
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Doyel: Herb Simon, 'a reluctant receiver of attention,' is on a HOF and NBA Finals roll
Pacers owner Herb Simon is quiet, unassuming to the point of shyness, a charismatic personality trait in anyone, much less one of the richest men in America. But when he does talk, he tends to veer toward a topic that makes him comfortable. He talks about time: How long he's owned the Indiana Pacers (more than 42 years), and how much time he and his brother Mel needed to purchase the franchise back in 1983 (less than an hour). How many years Reggie Miller played for the Pacers (18), and Tamika Catchings played for the Indiana Fever (16). How long Donnie Walsh (22 years), Larry Bird (21) and Rick Fuson (40) worked at his side. And now, in the present tense, the tenures of his two presidents, Kevin Pritchard of the Pacers (14 years with the franchise) and Mel Raines of Pacers Sports & Entertainment (11 years). How old he is becoming. How many years he has waited for this trip to the 2025 NBA Finals. Re-live the Pacers incredible postseason run with our commemorative book It's a wonderful time to be Herb Simon, a victorious run that began 18 months ago when the Pacers reached the final of the In-Season Tournament on Dec. 9, 2023, and continued the next day when the Indiana Fever, the WNBA franchise he'd been urged to shutter over the years, won the 2024 WNBA Draft lottery and the right to select Iowa's Caitlin Clark. The Fever made it official on April 16, which was 10 days after Simon was announced as a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame's class of 2024 – and five days before the Pacers embarked on their unexpected postseason run to the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. In October, joined on stage in Springfield, Mass., by Bird, Miller and Catchings, Simon was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Ten days later he presided over the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. That was Oct. 23, 2024. Also his 90th birthday. Catch Simon at an emotionally vulnerable time – and he doesn't show much, this guy – and he'll note that time isn't necessarily working in his favor these days. His brother, Mel, died in 2009 at age 82. The other landscape-changing professional sports owner our city has been blessed to have, Jim Irsay, died last month at age 65, though Simon didn't know that when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Oct. 13. What he did know that day, what he did say on Oct. 13, was this – and this was at the beginning of his acceptance speech: 'One of the things I realize is I'm still excited for the start of the season,' Simon told the Naismith crowd, then looked up from his prepared notes to wave his hands, trying to make people understand. 'After 41 years I'm still as excited as ever,' he said. 'In fact in just 10 days from now, our 42nd Pacers season will open – and on that day I turn 90.' Simon pauses. Here it comes. 'I'm glad you didn't wait longer to give me this award,' he said 'I mean…' Now everyone's laughing, and on Oct. 13 it was a cute start to an emotional speech where he appreciated Reggie and Tamika for their loyalty – "You honor me," he told them – and showered love on his city and state, and remembered his brother Mel Simon. People giggled, but there was truth behind that jest. I'm glad you didn't wait longer to give me this award. I mean… Think about the honesty behind that comment, and you will understand why people around this franchise, and around this town, are so thrilled about the Indiana Pacers' magical run to the 2025 NBA Finals. They are happy for the Pacers, yes. For the city, yes. Most of all, though, you get the feeling they are happiest for Herb Simon. Herb is 90 and still going strong. Herb is 90, and here to see it. Herb doesn't show much, he rarely does, but this is what joy looks like. Doyel last year: Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon quietly goes in Naismith Hall of Fame They had to talk Herb Simon into going onto the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor after the Pacers beat the Knicks to win the Eastern Conference finals. Who's they? Oh, everyone. Front office, family, Reggie Miller, the NBA. People who know Herb Simon – and know he's humble, wanting nothing to do with the limelight. 'A reluctant receiver of attention,' says his son, Stephen Simon, who is next in line to run the family's basketball business. But there was Herb on the floor with his wife, his children, his two presidents and all those players. And he was out there with Reggie Miller, working the game for TNT and chosen as the one to hand Herb the Bob Cousy Trophy as Eastern Conference champions. Simon remarked that it was heavy, then passed it off to veteran center Myles Turner. Was it heavy? Yeah, but that wasn't it. 'He didn't want to get out there and accept that trophy from Reggie,' Stephen says, 'but his joy in lifting that thing up and basking in it – he gives us these moments of his glee. He hugged Reggie, brought the whole family over and gave everybody a hug. That spoke to his joy in the moment.' He doesn't show much, Herb Simon, and he doesn't show his face much either. We've had a visible sports owner in this city – rest in peace, Jim Irsay – and we've had Simon, who doesn't know from social media and makes public appearances only to watch games from his seat in the corner, several rows from the floor. You've seen Mark Cuban and Steve Balmer courtside? That's not Herb's way. Put it like this: He's never stepped foot in the Pacers' locker room. Not in 42 years as owner of the Indiana Pacers. Not as far as Stephen or anyone associated with the team can recall. And understand, this isn't Herb being aloof. This is Herb getting out of the way, leading from behind, conducting the Pacers as he and his brother conducted the real estate business that made them wealthy. 'I would say Herb is super-proud of the longevity of his leadership,' says Raines, now Chief Operating Officer of PS&E. 'Herb places an incredible amount of trust in his leaders to do their jobs, and does not micromanage.' Says Stephen Simon: 'There are different ways to do it, obviously, and there are owners who are embedded with the team,' Stephen says. 'And there are people like Herb who want to let the players have their environment.' I asked two Pacers this week for their thoughts on Herb getting this moment. 'I've never met him,' said one, smiling widely, meaning no disrespect. 'I saw him on the court (after the Knicks game),' said another. 'First time I'd seen him come around like that. He looked happy.' He doesn't show us much, Herb Simon. But he's given us his heart, and more. He's given us Downtown Indianapolis. It was 42 years ago. 'How we got involved with the Pacers in 1983 is a story that is hard to believe,' Simon said during his Naismith HOF acceptance speech, 'and probably couldn't happen today.' The Pacers, kings of the ABA, had become NBA peasants under the neglectful eye of California businessmen Sam Nassi and Frank Mariani. Average attendance had dropped from more than 10,000 in 1979 to 4,800 in April 1983 when owners announced the franchise was for sale. Nassi and Mariani were eyeing two potential ownership groups in California, one featuring Angels slugger Reggie Jackson, when Jim Morris – the quintessential connector of all things Indianapolis – set up a meeting between two groups: Mayor Bill Hudnut and civic leaders including Dave Frick and Ted Boehm … and Mel Simon, then 55, and his younger brother Herb, 48. By then, five other local ownership groups had turned down overtures from Hudnut and Co. The Simons didn't know that. They just knew what Hudnut told them, that a potential buyer was lined up to purchase the team and move it out of Indiana. 'It would be hard to imagine the state of Indiana, where basketball was perfected, for (the Pacers) to be gone,' Herb says. 'It would be tragic. 'We were honored. The mayor and civic leaders came to see us about buying the team and keeping it in the city. The meeting was 20 or 30 minutes. At the end of it, we owned the team. It's incredible. I wouldn't recommend buying a team this way, or anything. I wouldn't recommend buying a stove this way.' All these years later, look at Downtown Indianapolis then and now. Since the Simons purchased the Pacers for the sole purpose of keeping the team in town – in those days, making a profit as an NBA owner, especially in a market of this size, was almost impossible – Downtown has added: The Colts. The NCAA. The Fever. The Indy Eleven. Ten more NCAA basketball Final Fours (seven men, three women). Two NBA All-Star Games. A Super Bowl. A handful of luxury hotels. The expanded Indiana Convention Center, from the modest facility it was in 1972 to the gigantic monolith it is today that attracts international conventions and the NFL scouting combine. 'Without Herb Simon,' says Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, 'I don't believe the Pacers would be in Indiana any longer. And then what else would we have missed? Think about it. The Colts, the NCAA … the list just goes on and on.' As Simon's tenure as owner grows longer – in an industry where NBA teams are now printing money, with owners in Dallas, Phoenix, Boston and Charlotte selling for billions since 2023 – he's the longest-running owner in the NBA. As Hogsett would say, think about that. 'I'm so thrilled Herb is here to watch this marvelous NBA Finals run,' says Nancy Leonard, widow of Hall of Famer and former ABA Pacers coach Bobby Leonard. 'He has been a dream owner, most respected amongst all the NBA team owners. Herb has turned the franchise over to our basketball people, and then stepped aside to give not only his financial support, but his moral support. And the team and coaches love him. 'Kudos for both Mel and Herb, plus Stevie for their faith and love of Indiana and our fan base. We are indebted to all three!' The Pacers have struggled along the way. Show me a small-market city like ours that doesn't struggle in the NBA. The deck is stacked against places like Indianapolis and Oklahoma City, cities that superstars leave on their way to Someplace Bigger. It requires skill (or luck) in the NBA Draft, and years of brilliant front office work to reach the NBA Finals. And in the Pacers' case, it meant refusing to tank. The 76ers tanked for years. The Wizards are doing it now. What have those teams learned how to do, along the way? Lose. Simon refused to tank. No idea if Bird or Pritchard ever broached the topic in the last 20 years, but I do know this: Simon would've said no. 'I don't want to see it,' Simon said a few years ago, when the Pacers were still trying to climb out of the hole created by Paul George's broken leg in 2014 and eventual departure in 2017. 'And if I don't want to see it, the fans don't want to see it. Why would we want to go through a rebuild when we can build on the go? That's the talent. Donnie did it all the time. Larry did it. Kevin (Pritchard) will do it. We can do it.' While insisting that Bird and Pritchard find a way to win – just do it – Simon's loyalty to the city has grown deeper. In 2019 Simon and the Pacers entered into an unprecedented 25-year commitment to the city. Did the city offer hundreds of millions in incentives to encourage the Pacers to stay? Of course. Having an NBA franchise is much bigger than sports. Did you miss that part about the Colts, NCAA, Fever, hotels, conventions, etc.? But the Pacers – Herb Simon – also committed more than $100 million in cash and the construction of the Ascension St. Vincent Center, the team's practice facility across the street from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. And then Herb Simon signed a contract weighed down by penalties that make it almost impossible to break the lease early. Not that Herb has any plan for that. 'Herb's never seen the Pacers as an investment,' Stephen says. 'You have to have a return, and all that? He's never thought of it that way. He owns the team because he loves it. He knows how important it is to the city. It's been in the family forever, and the intention is to keep it in the family, and in the city.' And the goal, right now, is to get that NBA title. The Pacers won those three ABA titles in the early 1970s, but that was a decade before Herb and Mel Simon stepped into the breach to keep the team here. The Pacers reached the 2000 NBA Finals, but lost in six games to Shaq, Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers. Pacers in 2000 NBA Finals: 25 years later, Pacers back in NBA Finals: 'It's almost a replay of the way it felt in 2000' Here we are, with the 2025 NBA Finals shifting Wednesday to Indianapolis for Game 3. The series is tied at 1-1 after the Pacers swiped home-court advantage from the Thunder by winning Game 1 in Oklahoma City. These are the times when Herb, who doesn't show much, lets his guard down. Says his COO, Mel Raines: 'I talk to him several times a day. He's a FaceTime person – he likes to look at you when he talks to you – and I see the smile on his face. To call him after a couple of those really special away games, to FaceTime him right after Game 1 in New York, you can see: This has been just pure joy for him.' Says his mayor, Joe Hogsett: 'Herb Simon loves Indianapolis. He loves his family first and foremost, but his second love is basketball and his third love is the city of Indianapolis. All three of those things coming together are the reason we're celebrating the NBA finals in Indianapolis. It's a love story. It really is a modern-day love story.' Says his son, Stephen: 'Everyone's thrilled for Herbie.' Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Threads, or on BlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar, or at Subscribe to the free weekly Doyel on Demand newsletter.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Everyone's Loving Jim Irsay's Final Tweet Before Death
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay passed away Wednesday at age 65. Before his death, he supported one of the city's other sports franchises ahead of a monumental game. Our Wednesday morning, Irsay sent well wishes to the Indiana Pacers as they commenced the Eastern Conference Finals. He directed his final tweet to Pacers owner Herb Simon hours before passing. Advertisement "Go PACERS. Good luck to Herb, the entire Pacers organization, and our city!" Irsay wrote. Later that evening, the Pacers completed a thrilling comeback in a 138-135 overtime win over the New York Knicks. Some fans saw the Game 1 victory as a poetic tribute to Irsay. "Thank you Mr. Jim Irsay for your commitment to the Indy community," a Colts fan wrote. "Pacers really won it for him!" a fan said. "RIP to a man that cared about the city as much as anyone," a fan wrote. "Thanks for the help tonight." "This tweet is so sweet, and sad, and beautiful," a fan said. "Especially now that the game is over and the Pacers won." INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 30: Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay speaks during a ceremony honoring former player Tarik Glenn during halftime of the game between the Washington Commanders and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by)Irsay has owned the Colts since 1997. He oversaw a prosperous period for the NFL franchise that included a Super Bowl triumph in 2006. Advertisement Seeking their first NBA title, the Pacers are four wins away from making their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Before Wednesday's game, Simon shared a statement mourning Irsay's death. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Jim Irsay," Simon wrote. "Jim took the time today to cheer us on. He was more than the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, he was a transformative figure in our city and state, a passionate advocate for the community, and someone whose generosity, vision, and spirit touched countless lived. Jim helped shape our city into the sports capital it is today, and his legacy, both on and off the field, will continue to inspire us and generations to come. "On behalf of our family, we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Irsay family, the Colts organization, fans, and all who loved Jim. He will be sorely missed." Related: Breaking: NFL Owner Jim Irsay Is Dead Everyone's Loving Jim Irsay's Final Tweet Before Death first appeared on The Spun on May 22, 2025
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Legendary Colts owner Jim Irsay's prophetic final post before his sudden death at just 65 leaves fans stunned
Jim Irsay's prophetic final post stunned fans on Wednesday as the Pacers pulled off an incredible victory following the Colts owner's sudden death. Irsay, 65, died in his sleep on Wednesday afternoon, the Colts announced. But just hours before, around noon ET, he delivered a message of support to a fellow Indiana franchise before their huge Eastern Conference Finals opener against the Knicks. 'Go PACERS. Good luck to [owner] Herb [Simon], the entire organization, and our city!',' he wrote. Following Irsay's post and his passing, the Pacers produced a stunning 138-135 overtime win in New York, after erasing a 17-point Knicks advantage in the fourth quarter. The Pacers trailed by as much as 14 with less than three minutes remaining, but pulled off a miraculous comeback as Aaron Nesmith hit six three-pointers in the fourth quarter (30 points overall), while Tyrese Haliburton had 31. And fans were taken aback by Irsay's last message after the Pacers' win. 'Did it for Jim,' one wrote on X. 'RIP to a man that cared about the city as much as anyone. Thanks for the help tonight,' another added. 'I think I may know where that high bounce at the end of regulation came from,' a third said, referencing Haliburton's game-tying buzzer beater at the end of regulation. And a fourth added: 'You were definitely there tonight, Mr. Irsay.' Irsay, who had battled alcoholism and addiction issues, was rarely seen in public during the last NFL season. He had also become less visible following a fall at his home in December 2023. In that instance, police officers from Carmel, Indiana responded to a 911 call from Irsay´s home and officers found him breathing but unresponsive and with a bluish skin tone. The report said Pete Ward, Irsay´s longtime right-hand man and the teams chief operating officer, told officers he was worried Irsay was suffering from congestive heart failure and that Irsay´s nurse had said his oxygen level was low, his breathing was labored and he was 'mostly' unconscious. Police later characterized the incident in a report as a suspected overdose. A month later, he was diagnosed with a respiratory illness. During his annual training camp news conference last summer, Irsay told reporters he was continuing to rehab from two subsequent surgeries - though he remained seated in his golf cart. Irsay did not speak during the recent NFL draft as he typically did. A Colts statement on Wednesday read: 'We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon. 'Jim's dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed. 'Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson, and his entire family as we grieve with them. 'Jim's generosity can be felt all over Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and the country. He made philanthropy a daily endeavor. He never hesitated to help countless organizations and individuals live better lives. 'Music was one of Jim's passions and the ability to share his band and collection with millions of people across the world brought him tremendous joy. 'Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and that philosophy never wavered. Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New mixed-use residential along the Foss? Property for sale is being marketed for such
A Tacoma waterfront property long planned for apartment or condo development is on the market. The property referenced as Foss Harbor Marina Site 11 is along the Foss Waterway at 821 Dock St. It is owned by an entity affiliated with local investors Ted Johnson and Herb Simon. Dave Speers is executive vice president of Kidder Mathews and has the site listing. He told The News Tribune in response to questions that Wednesday was its initial marketing day. 'The owners acquired a last segment of the property last year and decided it's time to sell,' Speers said via email. The two-parcel site is 1.7 acres, 74,722 square feet adjacent to the 416 slip Foss Harbor Marina. It is zoned for high-density residential development and could accommodate 'at least 260 units over commercial and parking elements,' according to a sales flyer. Renderings show a proposed five floors of residential units over two podium levels of parking accommodating 1.5 stalls per unit, along with ground floor of commercial space. The asking price is $8 million. The property is part of multiple decades-long effort to redevelop along the Thea Foss Waterway, on parcels both north and south of the Murray Morgan bridge. The waterway is part of the larger Commencement Bay Superfund site, and redevelopment was managed by the Foss Waterway Development Authority for more than 20 years. FWDA's operating agreement expired at the end of 2020, and its work was absorbed by the city and Metro Parks Tacoma (now Parks Tacoma). At the end of 2020, FWDA owned 10.07 acres of property. Of that, 5.64 acres transferred to Metro Parks Tacoma, 2.4 acres were intended for private development and 2 acres serve as home to the Foss Waterway Seaport museum. The transferred park sites include the newly developed Melanie Jan LaPlant Dressel Park, which opened last year, and the planned Waterway Park, which is across the water from The Henry apartments, and George H. Weyerhaeuser Jr. Park, 2101 Dock St. In 2021, Foss Harbor LLC came to the city with a proposal to partner with a third-party developer for a mixed-use project on Sites 10 and 11 north of the bridge. The plan at that time was for approximately 330 market-rate apartments, 563 parking stalls, 145 parking stalls for the marina, 18,060 square feet of commercial space, resident amenity spaces, construction of the waterfront esplanade and view corridor enhancements. The city would construct a seawall replacement already funded in the Capital Improvement Plan and scheduled for 2022. Foss Harbor LLC also planned for a separate, three-story mixed-use development on Site 9, south of the bridge, it would develop on its own. Up for council approval at that time were purchase-and-sale agreements between the city and Foss Harbor for Foss Waterway Sites 9 and 10, which the city owned, and development agreement for Foss Waterway Sites 9, 10 and 11. (The developers already owned Site 11). The City Council approved the measure in June 2021, and the purchase-and-sale agreement was executed in July 2022. At the time then-council member Lillian Hunter put into perspective how long it had taken just to get to that point in the process. 'The vision for this development really predates 2001,' she said. 'When Kelso Gillenwater came to town ... and he was the publisher of The News Tribune, we walked that area, and he had put dibs on one of the first townhouses that was going to be constructed at that time. 'And there was great energy for that,' she added, but noted that Gillenwater 'sadly passed in 1999. He never got to see his townhouse.' Johnson at the meeting noted, 'This has been a long project for sure. We've gone through three different Foss Waterway Development Authority directors, two planning directors, three economic development directors and three city managers.' In early 2023, Foss Harbor LLC came back seeking a proposed six-month extension to the due diligence tied to the purchase-and-sale agreement for Sites 9 and 10, because of reconfiguration of Site 10 from the new seawall. The six months were added 'to allow time for a redesign of the Site 10 project,' according to the city's action memorandum. According to city media representative Maria Lee, the city eventually closed on the sale of Foss Waterway Sites 9 and 10 to Foss Harbor in December 2024, for $1.97 million. 'The sites will be developed for support uses for the Foss Harbor Marina,' she said via email. 'This made way for marketing Site 11 for mixed-use development.' Two sites remaining with the city include Site 8 (1131 Dock St.), which was the former Sea Scouts site, and Site 12 (535 Dock St.), a parking lot north of the Seaport Museum. Among other nearby waterfront sites awaiting development is 1179 Dock St., next to Melanie Dressel Park. The property consists of three parcels and is privately owned. That site is on the market for $3.65 million. Its marketing material says, 'Potential may be a hotel, multifamily building, condos, marina and more.' Another vacant lot, 1543 Dock St., is next to Thea's Landing. That site is owned by an entity affiliated with Hollander Properties of Bellingham and has long been planned for a hotel but has yet to move forward. The last development pre-application on file with the city for that parcel dates to 2018, which proposed a Homewood Suites valued at $35 million.
