NDIANAPOLIS — This year’s Eastern Conference Finals means a bit more Indiana legend Quinn Buckner.
Buckner is originally from Illinois but came to Indiana University in 1973 to play for Bobby Knight.
The two went undefeated and won the national championship in 1976. They are the last team to finish a college basketball season undefeated.
“You just have this great appreciation for the people in the state and their love for the game of basketball,” Buckner explained.
Buckner was drafted to play for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks were he blossomed in his role as one of the leagues best defenders.
Later in his career, he was traded to the Boston Celtics where he won his first and only championship in 1984.
“You're playing with great guys who played basketball the right way,” Buckner said. “I always saw the Celtics as a team that matched the way I thought the game should be played.”
Buckner played his final season in the NBA with the Pacers, a franchise he has worked with for over two decades.
“You just get this family feel within this environment,” Buckner explained. “You are willing to do whatever it takes in order to be successful for the franchise and that's really what's kept me here.”
In 2004, Buckner was named the Vice President of Communications for Pacers Sports and Entertainment. He has also served as the team’s color commentator.
Although this year’s conference finals features two teams that hold many memories for Quinn, he says he is rooting on the Pacers.
"It has been fun but it's fun because I'm watching guys I’ve been on the plane with, joke with, have eaten with,” Buckner said.
He said this is the most fun he has had watching basketball in over a decade. He says it’s because the Pacers play with so much joy.
“That's what I love about sports. That's what I love about what the Pacers have been able to do," he said.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH BUCKNER BELOW
