“As a player, he was a real professional who showed genuine leadership,” said Pacers President of Basketball Larry Bird, who coached Perkins with the Pacers. “He’s a person we all were hoping would come back and help us some day. He’s a good man with many qualities that will help the franchise.”

Perkins

Since his retirement in 2001, Perkins has been actively involved in a variety of charitable endeavors including Special Olympics; Nothing But Nets in conjunction with the United Nations; Boys and Girls Clubs; Big Brothers; Carolina for Kibera; NBA Cares; Basketball Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity. Perkins is a graduate of North Carolina with a degree in communications. He was a co-captain of the 1984 gold medal-winning Olympic basketball team and he played a total of 15 seasons in the NBA with four different teams.

“I’m looking forward to this opportunity and challenge because in the perspective of the NBA, player development programs are a high priority,” said Perkins. “For the Pacers, the development of players on and off the court has been made a top priority by the franchise.”

“As a young player in my first couple of years in the league, Sam was a leader on a veteran team and showed myself and the other young guys the correct way to do things,” said Pacers forward Jeff Foster. “I always looked up to Sam for how he represented and conducted himself on and off the court. I’m sure he’ll make a smooth transition into this role.”