Indiana Pacers to honor Hoosiers basketball with true throwback jerseys

29 years after Hoosiers first hit the big screen and drew attention to Indiana’s basketball hysteria. The Pacers will honor that movie and its heritage on Friday.

The Indiana Pacers will give a hook shout-out to Hoosiers, the classic Gene Hackman basketball flick that first drew attention to the basketball hotbed of Indiana. On Friday, the team will sport a throw-back kit designed as a replica of the uniforms worn in the film.

The only difference between these throwback jerseys and the real thing back in the mid 50’s would be the length of those shorts. According to Sports Center on their tweet earlier today, a towering 6’9″ Paul George modeled the Hickory jerseys that will be worn later tonight when the Pacers play against the Miami Heat.

And that’s not the only piece of Hoosiers movie history making its rounds as even the bus used in the movie has been making the rounds.

We first got word that the Indiana Pacers had these throwback jerseys set for the Hoosiers 30th anniversary back in July of this year with plans to use them in 2016. But by the looks of things, the Pacers moved that up a year. We imagine that a debut sooner rather than later would be appreciated.

The team name emblazoned on the jerseys is in reference to the movie team loosely based on Milan High school, the 1954 Indiana state championship team that won against the larger enrolled Muncie Central.

According to Fox Sports back when this story first broke, Hickory was chosen over Milan simply because it had more of a worldwide appeal, and we agree as few people know who Milan High is.

No word yet if Frank Vogel will don an appearance in the likeness of one Norman Dale or if Gene Hackman will be in the stands hooping and hollering.