Pacers Matriarch Nancy Leonard, Wife of Bobby Leonard, Dies at 93

Nancy Leonard, the wife of former Indiana Pacers coach and general manager Bobby “Slick” Leonard, has died at the age of 93. She was the first woman to serve as an NBA assistant general manager.

Pacers Mourning Death Of Nancy Leonard

Leonard’s family confirmed her death in a statement Tuesday.

“With sorrow, the children of Bob and Nancy Leonard announce the peaceful passing of our mother last night,” the family said. “Her health steadily declined in recent months, but her will to get the most out of life never wavered as evidenced by her insistence on attending Pacers games this past season at 93 years young. She will always be the Pacers #1 fan.”

Nancy Leonard served as the Pacers’ assistant general manager from 1976 to 1980 while working alongside her husband, who was the coach and general manager of the team at the time.

 

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Celebrating the life of a legend 💙

Nancy Leonard, the widow of the late, great Bobby “Slick” Leonard, was the first female GM in @NBA history and the architect behind a 1977 telethon that kept our franchise in Indianapolis.

Read more about her legacy: https://t.co/RIkDB525Zo pic.twitter.com/PHSFuR2NBl

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) September 24, 2025

Nancy Leonard handled the administrative duties for the franchise while Bobby was coaching the team.

“She ran it!” Bobby would shout, joyfully, when asked about his wife’s role with the Pacers in the 1970s, when the franchise won three ABA titles in four years from 1970-73.

“She could do anything. It was her and I with the Pacers. Nancy ran the business side, and I was responsible for the coaching.”

Nancy Leonard Organized Telethon To Keep Team In Town

According to ESPN’s report, the Leonards also helped save the Pacers by organizing a 1977 telethon to sell season tickets to keep the franchise in Indianapolis. Nancy was credited with the idea of the team holding a telethon.

The “Save the Pacers” telethon, broadcast on live television on July 3, was solely responsible for the selling of over 8,000 season tickets to raise $2 million.

“We are heartbroken to hear of Nancy Leonard’s passing. Quite simply, we would not be here without her,” the Simon family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment said in a statement.

“From the earliest days of the franchise, Nancy poured her heart and soul into the team, not just as the wife of Slick Leonard, but as a female trailblazer who rallied the community when we needed it the most.”

The First Lady of Indiana basketball. Before every game, I knew I could count on a wink and a smile behind the bench. There is no Pacers basketball without Nancy Leonard. Can’t wait to see the day her name is in the rafters where it belongs. RIP to a legend and a beautiful soul💛 pic.twitter.com/tDvPOxNO2B

— Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) September 24, 2025

Nancy Leonard continued to stay involved in team activities in the ensuing years, including attending games during the Pacers’ run to the 2025 NBA Finals.

“The First Lady of Indiana basketball,” Tyrese Haliburton posted on X. “Before every game, I knew I could count on a wink and a smile behind the bench. There is no Pacers basketball without Nancy Leonard. Can’t wait to see the day her name is in the rafters where it belongs. RIP to a legend and a beautiful soul.”

After his coaching career, Bobby Leonard went on to become a longtime broadcaster of Pacers games and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

He later died in April 2021.