Nancy Leonard, who played key role in Pacers history, dies

Sep 24, 2025, 11:08 AM ET

Nancy Leonard, the wife of former Indiana Pacers coach and general manager Bobby “Slick” Leonard who was considered the matriarch of the team, has died at the age of 93.

Leonard’s family confirmed her death in a statement Tuesday.

“With sorrow, the children of Bob and Nancy Leonard announce the peaceful passing of our mother last night,” the family said. “Her health steadily declined in recent months, but her will to get the most out of life never wavered as evidenced by her insistence on attending Pacers games this past season at 93 years young. She will always be the Pacers #1 fan.”

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Nancy Leonard served as the Pacers’ assistant general manager from 1976 to 1980 while working alongside her husband, who was coaching the team and took the general manager title when Indiana moved from the ABA to NBA in 1976. Nancy Leonard largely handled the administrative duties for the franchise while Bobby was coaching the team.

The Leonards also played a key role in saving the Pacers by organizing a 1977 telethon to sell season tickets that kept the team from financial ruin. Nancy was credited with the idea of the team holding a telethon.

“We are heartbroken to hear of Nancy Leonard’s passing. Quite simply, we would not be here without her,” the Simon family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment said in a statement. “From the earliest days of the franchise, Nancy poured her heart and soul into the team, not just as the wife of Slick Leonard, but as a female trailblazer who rallied the community when we needed it the most.”

Nancy Leonard continued to stay around the team in the ensuing years, including attending games during the Pacers’ run to the 2025 NBA Finals.

“The First Lady of Indiana basketball,” Tyrese Haliburton posted on X. “Before every game, I knew I could count on a wink and a smile behind the bench. There is no Pacers basketball without Nancy Leonard. Can’t wait to see the day her name is in the rafters where it belongs. RIP to a legend and a beautiful soul.”

Bobby Leonard, who also was a longtime broadcaster of Pacers games after his coaching career and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, died in April 2021.

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