For the United States general see: George Francis McGinnis

George Francis McGinnis

George Francis McGinnins was a volunteer soldier during the Mexican-American War and a Union general during the American Civil War.-Early life:...

George F. McGinnis (born August 12, 1950 in Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

) is a retired American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player, most notably with the Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...

 of the American Basketball Association

American Basketball Association

The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...

 (ABA) (from 1971 to 1975). He was drafted into the ABA from Indiana University

Indiana University Bloomington

Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...

 in 1971. In the '70-71 season at Indiana, McGinnis became the first sophomore to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 29.9 points per game in his lone season in Bloomington earning All-American and All-Big Ten Honors in 1971.

George McGinnis was one of the marquee players of the ABA, and later teamed with fellow ABA alumni Julius Erving

Julius Erving

Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....

 and Caldwell Jones

Caldwell Jones

Caldwell "Pops" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player.Jones was drafted from Albany State University by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 14th pick in the 1973 NBA Draft...

 on the Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...

 that made the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 (NBA) Finals in 1977

1977 NBA Finals

The 1977 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1976-77 NBA season. The Portland Trail Blazers of the Western Conference played against the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference, with the 76ers holding home-court advantage. Their 4 regular season meetings had been...

. McGinnis was traded to the Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

 in 1978. Two years later, the Pacers reacquired him in a trade for high-scoring forward Alex English

Alex English

Alexander English is a retired American basketball player and former assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association who played at the forward position...

. However, McGinnis was only a shadow of his former self, and contributed very little during his two-year return to Indiana. Meanwhile, English went on to become one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. This transaction is now considered among the worst (if not the worst) trades in Pacers history, as well as one of the most lopsided deals in NBA history.

McGinnis is one of four players (the others are Roger Brown, Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller

Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...

, and Mel Daniels

Mel Daniels

Melvin Joe Daniels is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6' 9" center, he played for the University of New Mexico Lobo men's basketball team from 1964-67...

) to have his jersey (#30) retired by the Pacers.

McGinnis attended Washington High School in Indianapolis, where in 1969 his team went unbeaten for the season and won the state championship. McGinnis set an Indiana state tournament scoring record with 148 points in his final four games. He was also named Mr. Basketball for the state of Indiana that year.

ABA and NBA achievements

• Member of the 1972
  1972 ABA Playoffs
  The 1972 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1971-1972 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Eastern Division champion New York Nets, four games to two in the ABA Finals.-Notable events:The...
  
   and 1973
  1973 ABA Playoffs
  The 1973 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1972-1973 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels, four games to three in the ABA Finals.-Notable...
  
   Indiana Pacers
  Indiana Pacers
  The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
  
   ABA championship teams.
• Second Team All-ABA selection in 1973.
• Three ABA All-Star selections (1973–1975).
• Three All-ABA First Team selections (1974–1976).
• Selected as ABA Co-MVP, with Julius Erving in 1975.
• Won the ABA scoring title in 1975.
• First Team All-NBA selection in 1976.
• Second Team All-NBA selection in 1977.
• Three NBA All-Star selections (1976, 1977, and 1979).
• Member of the ABA's All-Time Team
  ABA's All-Time Team
  The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in 1997 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the American Basketball Association to comprise the thirty best and most influential players of the ABA during its ten years and nine full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only...
  
  
• Number retired by Indiana Pacers

External links

• George McGinnis at basketball-reference.com