This is part II of my conversation with Mark Montieth, who has covered the Indiana Pacers for several decades.

[Part I – On the Pacers’ encouraging start to the 2017-18 season]

Mark recently published “Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis” — and it’s a book I recommend for hoops fans in our great state of Indiana. This book documents the challenges for pro basketball to be sustainable in Indiana and the great lengths a group of people went to get it.

In this well-researched book, he shares all kinds of facts, photos, and nuggets long before the Pacers existed. This is what led to the ABA Pacers, in fact. We’ll also got into his writing process, being self-published, and how sharp it turned out.

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I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* Why he was compelled to tell this story

* Media access then vs. today

* The ongoing theme of attendance being shared and the thirst for hoops

* How his research spanned several decades and what went into writing this story

* The journey of self-publishing, and visiting the factory

* Whether he plans to write more on pro basketball in Indy