Draft night is as much about missed opportunities as it is focused on star-making beginnings. And for some, the frustration of making the wrong decision never fully fades away.
Such is the case of Nancy Leonard, who shared her perspective of how her Pacers passed on drafting future Hall of Famer and Indiana native Larry Bird in 1978. Leonard, who was an assistant general manager for the team at the time, told Dana Hunsinger Benbow of USA TODAY that she and her husband—head coach and GM Bobby “Slick” Leonard—were convinced that Bird was the right choice and that the ultimate decision to pass on Bird still haunts her.
“It was a disaster,” Nancy, now 90, said. “I will never forget one second of that draft and this is something I haven’t really talked publicly about.”
