Pacers have lacked leader -- a player who puts team first -- since Miller retired in '05
By Mike Wells
Bird says team poised to fill leadership void
Pacers have lacked leader -- a player who puts team first -- since Miller retired in '05
By Mike Wells
A When Reggie Miller retired, the Indiana Pacers lost more than his 18 points per game and clutch shots.
They lost their leader. Team president Larry Bird has been looking for one since, even though Jermaine O'Neal was anointed with the role before being traded to Toronto during the offseason.
"Just because you make the most money doesn't mean you're the leader," Bird said last month. "A lot of guys didn't want to step on toes. Not only here, but other places I've been at. They'd say, the guy makes the most money, that means he's the leader. That's not the case. The leader comes from the guy doing the right thing, the guy that's going to be there every day at practice, the guy that plays through pain without complaining. They do the necessary things to prepare themselves.
Full article here:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/SPORTS04/809300383/1088/SPORTS04
