George McGinnis, Hall of Fame basketball player, dies at 73
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- George McGinnis, a Hall of Fame basketball player who shined with the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, died Thursday morning from complications of a cardiac arrest. He was 73.
The Pacers announced McGinnis suffered a cardiac arrest last week.
"George McGinnis shaped so many of the fondest basketball memories for generations of Hoosiers. He was the very definition of an Indiana basketball legend, a champion, and Hall of Fame athlete," Simon Family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment said in a statement. "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."
In a post on the social media website X, the Sixers said, "George McGinnis was a Hall of Famer on and off the court, earning several accolades during an ABA-NBA career that spanned a decade. He joined our team in the mid-70s and proved to be an incredible force alongside Julius Erving - the duo leading our team to a 1977 NBA Finals appearance. Our sincerest condolences go out to George's family and friends. He will be sorely missed."
McGinnis won two American Basketball Association championships with the Pacers and was named the ABA's co-Most Valuable Player along with Julius "Dr. J" Erving in 1974-75.
The Sixers drafted McGinnis into the NBA in 1973, selecting him with the 22nd pick in the second round. The 6-foot-8 power forward made two All-Star teams with the Sixers and helped lead the team to the NBA Finals in 1977.
In three seasons with the Sixers, McGinnis averaged 21.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
McGinnis also played for the Denver Nuggets before finishing his career with the Pacers. He retired as a Pacer in 1982 after an 11-year professional career. He's one of four Pacers to have his number (No. 30) retired.
McGinnis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
A celebration of life for McGinnis will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at a date to be determined. The Pacers said McGinnis will have a private burial.