[Old player record] Blue-collar workers who average 4 points per game! Pacers tough guy!

In the first decade of the 21st century, if the Indiana Pacers were mentioned, many powerful players might flash in the minds of many old fans. Jermaine O'Neal, who was once known as the number one power forward in the East, Danny Granger, who was talented but trapped by injuries, or the best defender who left controversial moments because of impulse but also left behind great military achievements.

These people are representative players of Pacers of that era, but if we talk about the people who are worthy of memories of the times and are also the most easily overlooked, then there must be the name of Jeff Foster on the list.

Average of 4.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in his career, his personal data is mediocre, and his player reputation is limited, but this big man has been in Inn City for 13 seasons and played 764 games in his regular season, ranking fourth in team history, second only to three team legendary seniors: Reggie Miller, Rick Schmitz and Wayne Fleming.

Borrowing the comments from Larry Bird, the Pacers general manager at the time, of him:

"He tried his best every night, and he was a role model for young players."

This is the meaning of Foster's existence, and it is the most prominent spiritual microcosm of the Pacers in those years.

And if you want to choose the most classic of Jeff Foster's career, it is undoubtedly the moment when the Eastern Conference semi-finals were against the Pistons in 2005.

In the series, Reggie Miller is experiencing the last playoffs of his career. The Pacers lost away in the first away game in the series. If they lose the second game, they will return to home court with a disadvantage 0-2, and the situation in the series will naturally be relatively dangerous.

In the critical second game, Foster ushered in his highlight moment. In the first three quarters of the game, Foster had grabbed 14 rebounds, including 6 offensive rebounds, but only scored 4 points on the offensive end. In the last 5 minutes of the game, he began to change the situation of the game:

The last 5 and a half points, Foster made a tip-in in the interior, helping the Pacers lead by two points 79-77; and in the next 3 minutes and 10 seconds, O'Neal Jr. missed the basket, and Foster scored a rebound again; in the last 2 minutes and 46 seconds, O'Neal Jr. made a jump shot again, Foster forced out of bounds to save the ball, and teammate Stephen Jackson rushed back to the field and grabbed the rebound and made up for two points. Turning back to the defensive end, Foster gave Hamilton a big hat, completely extinguishing the Pistons' hope of counterattack.

After the whole game, Jeff Foster scored 14 points and 20 rebounds, and one of them grabbed as many as 10 offensive rebounds. In the end, the Pacers won 92-83.

It is after this game that everyone in Indiana can no longer forget the player's name: Jeff Foster.

Return to Jeff Foster's career trajectory, he has been selected in the 21st pick in the first round of the 1999 draft and joined the Peak Pacers, who are headed by Reggie Miller.

Foster has almost no sense of presence in his rookie season. He only played two games against the Lakers in the 2000 Finals, and his playing time was only 2 minutes. Since the following season, the big man has gradually entered the core rotation and has begun to become the team's reliable blue-collar insider.

However, fate quickly turned.

The 2004 Auburn Palace incident directly caused Pacers to fall into a low point. Miller then retired and the team entered an embarrassing era of being out of reach. Since the 2006-07 season, the Pacers have missed the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, setting the longest playoff drought since the Miller era.

Then O'Neal Jr., Artest, Stephen Jackson and other team leaders left the team one after another. Jeff Foster became one of the few old faces left in the team. For the Pacers at that time, Foster was like a memory mark of an era, reminding fans that the city of Indiana had had glorious moments. In 2011, the Pacers were finally able to return to the playoffs, but Jeff Foster was 34 years old at that time, and was dragged down by a back injury and played for only a few minutes in the season. He only played 11 games in the 2011-12 season, but he finally had no choice but to turn around and retire.

This is a relatively bitter ending for Inn City fans. All fans know that Foster's injury was not due to other reasons, but the sequelae left after years of hard work. And that unreserved spirit has become the most moving label he left for the fans.

If you only look at personal data, Jeff Foster's career performance is indeed dull, with only 4.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. If you carefully disassemble his performance on the court, you will naturally find his unique value.

Average 20.6 minutes of playing time in his career, but he can grab 2.8 frontcourt rebounds. If you convert to 36 minutes per game, this data can reach 4.8. Such exaggerated data is a top offensive rebounder no matter in any era.

Of course, behind the excellent frontcourt rebounding ability, Foster's biggest problem comes from a single offensive method. His scoring is almost entirely based on second offense and off-ball cuts. He also tried to develop mid-range shooting in his career, but he has not maintained stable efficiency for many years, resulting in the coach having to match him with an inside partner with offensive threats during his appearance, such as O'Neal Jr.

In short, Foster is a typical dirty work expert. For such a player, it is difficult for us to use data to fully evaluate him, but as long as you have watched his game, you will naturally understand the value of his team.

Of course, this is also Foster's good luck. As a benchmark figure of the era at that time, being able to play for 13 seasons in the old era would be a special case. If he appeared in today's era where space and projection were concerned, a big man like Foster who was almost unthreatening on the offensive end might be further limited in playing time and team status..

However, it must be admitted that being able to stay in the league for many years is not just a bonus to the times. His rebounding sense, defensive attitude and game fighting spirit are exactly what many teams lack today. Thinking of it from another perspective, putting him in a system team like the Heat and Spurs that emphasize the spirit of blue-collar workers may still be able to make a good fortune.

This is a story about a character player, not as profound as other star players, and Foster does not have the brilliant data of 20+10 at every turn, but it is these blue-collar players who are not revealing their views that often support the foundation of a team.

When fans miss the highlights of the Pacers' brilliant predecessors, don't forget the figure who is desperately fighting for the board at the basket. It is precisely because of him that Indiana's memory is more complete.