JUST IN:Pacers Fans Roar as Team Vows to Retire #31 in Emotional Ceremony, Declaring ‘Indy Will Never Fall!’ Post-Finals Heartbreak!

JUST IN:Pacers Fans Roar as Team Vows to Retire #31 in Emotional Ceremony, Declaring ‘Indy Will Never Fall!’ Post-Finals Heartbreak!

JUST IN: Pacers Fans Roar as Team Vows to Retire #31 in Emotional Ceremony, Declaring ‘Indy Will Never Fall!’ Post-Finals Heartbreak

INDIANAPOLIS — June 23, 2025

In a powerful and emotional moment that brought both closure and hope to a city still reeling from a crushing NBA Finals loss, the Indiana Pacers announced that they will officially retire Reggie Miller’s iconic No. 31 jersey in a historic ceremony set for the start of the 2026 season. The announcement came just days after the team’s heartbreaking Game 7 defeat, sparking a wave of emotion and renewed unity across the state.

While Miller’s No. 31 has long been unofficially “untouchable,” the franchise has now made it official: No Pacer will ever wear 31 again. The retirement ceremony will take place during the home opener at the soon-to-be-renamed Reggie Miller Arena, completing a long-overdue tribute to the man who defined Indiana basketball for over a decade.

“This One’s for Indy”

Speaking at an impromptu press conference held in front of thousands of emotional fans outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, team president Kevin Pritchard delivered the news with reverence.

“In the wake of the Finals, we knew we had to respond not with despair, but with something that brings us together. There’s no one better to honor right now than Reggie Miller. He represents everything we want this franchise to stand for: loyalty, grit, and heart.”

A massive banner reading “Indy Will Never Fall” hung above the crowd as chants of “Reg-gie! Reg-gie!” echoed through downtown.

Miller’s Message: “We’re Not Done Yet”

Reggie Miller himself made a surprise appearance at the event, welcomed with thunderous applause and tears from fans young and old. Dressed in a classic Pacers warm-up jacket, Miller fought back emotion as he addressed the crowd.

“I’ve always said I played for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. But tonight… this means something I can’t describe. To have this number go up in the rafters forever—it’s not just mine. It’s ours. This number belongs to every Pacer fan who never stopped believing.”

Miller paused before delivering the words that lit a fire in the crowd: “We may have lost the Finals, but we’re not done. Indy will never fall.”

From Heartbreak to Legacy

The Pacers’ deep playoff run had galvanized the city, with young stars like Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jarace Walker emerging as future legends in their own right. But after a gut-wrenching Game 7 loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets, fans were desperate for a sign of hope.

They got it.

The jersey retirement, combined with Miller’s continued presence in the front office and the upcoming arena renaming, signals a new era built on the foundation of a legendary past.

The Ceremony Ahead

The No. 31 jersey will be raised into the rafters on October 20, 2026, the team’s first home game of the season. The event will feature tributes from former teammates, video messages from NBA legends, and a halftime speech by Miller himself.

Until then, the Pacers’ message is clear: This isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of something even bigger.