George McGinnis (2023) - Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame

George McGinnis

Induction:
2023

In his one year of varsity basketball at IU, McGinnis put together one of the most dominant seasons in Big Ten history. The Indianapolis product led the Big Ten in both scoring (29.9) and rebounding (14.7) as a sophomore in 1970-71, becoming the first sophomore to lead the Big Ten in both categories. He bypassed his final two years of eligibility as a hardship case, and enjoyed a Hall of Fame career as a professional in both the ABA and NBA. McGinnis first signed with the ABA’s Indiana Pacers, where he spent four years playing for former Hoosier Bobby Leonard. He led the team to two ABA championships, and in 1974-75 he was named the ABA’s co-MVP with Julius Irving after averaging 29.8 pounds, 9.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. McGinnis went to the NBA in 1976, and during his seven years was named All-NBA First Team twice and an NBA All-Star three times. Overall, he scored 17,009 points in 11 years of pro basketball. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, becoming the seventh person with IU Basketball ties to be inducted (Bobby Leonard, Isiah Thomas, Everett Dean, Bob Knight, Branch McCracken, Walt Bellamy).