Will Pacers fans boo Roy Hibbert?
UPDATE: The Lakers announced at approximately 5:30 p.m. that Roy Hibbert will not play tonight due to a left ankle sprain.
PREVIOUS: In the days leading up to the return of Big Dawg, Solomon Hill launched the opening salvo. Sensing how fans might react to Roy Hibbert in his first game back at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Hill attempted to stem the bad vibes. Saturday night, Hill used a single tweet. By Monday morning, several teammates joined the chorus in hoping for a positive reaction for Hibbert.
"He deserves a standing ovation," George Hill said.
When asked why, Solomon Hill, who was passing by, chimed in and offered: "Because we don’t get to the Eastern Conference Finals without him."
After Monday's shootaround, Lakers coach Byron Scott said Hibbert, who has a left ankle sprain, is probable to play tonight. Hibbert's former teammates want to hear cheers if he does step on the floor.
Hibbert played his first seven seasons in the NBA with Indiana, helping to create the Pacers' identity as a fearsome defensive program. Hibbert earned two All-Star appearances and defensively anchored the team during its back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference Finals (2013, 2014).
Even so, the Pacers' expectations for a nice ovation might not match reality.
When Lance Stephenson returned for his first game against the Pacers, boos cascaded from the rafters. Tyler Hansbrough, beloved as 'Psycho T' when he was here, also earned a Bronx cheer from Heartland fans. Even Danny Granger, the Pacer who helped bridge the gap from the post-brawl days to the Gold Swagger era, received a tepid response when he came back as a member of the Miami Heat. Now it's Hibbert's turn.
"The fact that it was even in the air that people would consider booing him, it’s utterly disrespectful. Because without Roy — Roy changed the game," Solomon Hill said. "The straight-up and what he did for us defensively, us being the smash-mouth basketball team.
"I wouldn’t even be surprised," Hill said, if fans were to boo Hibbert. "It’s how it is.
"They love you when you’re doing good, and they hate you when you’re doing bad."
After Hibbert averaged 17.0 points and 9.9 rebounds during the 2013 playoffs, he sharply declined in his final two years in Indiana. Last April, team president Larry Bird announced a shift to playing smaller — all but ensuring the end of Hibbert in Indiana. In July, the Pacers worked a trade with the Lakers to ship away Hibbert in exchange for a future second-round draft pick.
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"It was a situation where Roy didn’t want to leave, but it was about that time, I guess," Paul George said. "So it wasn’t on bad terms for his sake, so I hope the fans don’t knock him or overlook that. Roy’s been great for this organization. I hope they honor that."
In a twist of fate, Hibbert, averaging 6.5 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Lakers this season, faces his former teammates just as they have moved back to their smash-mouth ways in playing two bigs. Since returning to this style, the Pacers have won four of six games.
On Monday, Hibbert described his time with the Pacers as "fun" and acknowledged the fans.
“I appreciated (them), and I loved the time I had here," Hibbert said. "I love you guys and best of luck to you guys in the future.”