Remember the ABA: Freddie Lewis (original) (raw)

Freddie Lewis

Ht. 6-0
Wt. 180
College - Eastern Arizona/Arizona State
ABA Teams: Indiana (1967-68 to 1973-74), Memphis (1974-75), St. Louis (1974-75 to 1975-76)

Original Member of Indiana Pacers in 1967; Pacers' Team Captain; MVP of 1972 ABA Playoffs; 4-Time ABA All-Star; MVP of 1975 ABA All-Star Game; Played on all 3 Indiana Pacers ABA Championship Teams; Pacers ABA Leader in Games Played (672), Free Throws Made (2,999), and Assists (2711); Led Pacers' first team (1967-68) in scoring (20.6 ppg).

From Jim O'Brien's 1972-73 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball:

Named MVP in 1972 ABA Playoffs, Lewis was the one who led Pacers to the championship . . . Long underrated and too often unappreciated by Pacer fans . . . "I'm gonna play here and I'm gonna make them accept me whether they want to or not," he told us after his outstanding series against the Nets . . . "He was our steadiest performer and leader in the playoffs," said Coach Leonard . . . Averaged 19.2 points and 4.4 assists a game, where his regular season average was 15.4 and 4.7 . . . "I always thought we had the talent to win it," said Freddie, one of the finest young men in the game, "and I felt it was my job to pass on that spirit to the other guys." . . . He ignited several comebacks and hit many clutch shots . . . In seventh game against Utah he came up with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, and his two free throws with 24 seconds left supplied the winning points . . . In the crushing fifth contest against New York in the finals, he led Pacers back from 20-point deficit with numerous steals and baskets, and finally swiped the ball and notched two winning free throws with 17 seconds left . . . Indianapolis fans often booed when Lewis started ahead of Rick Mount, but no more . . . Nicknamed "Fritz" . . . He's captain of club. "Being named captain every year with the Pacers has been a great honor," he says, "it makes you feel good to think the fellows believe in you." . . . Super attitude enhances his talents . . . Coach Leonard sums it up: "He plays good defense. He does almost everything well. You can't let him shoot. And he'll drive on you. He's done a great job for me since I came to this team." . . . Was Oscar Robertson's backup man with the NBA Cincinnati Royals before ABA came into being . . . "Oscar taught me a lot," says Lewis, "taught me how to be cool, how to handle situations instead of running all over the court helter-skelter." . . . Accurate jump shot and one of the league's best hustlers.