“David brings the best to our organization. He is extremely talented, experienced, and humble, and his passion for our players and the Pacers organization is what endears him to the coaches and athletes he works with. . David meaningfully impacted countless people here and around the League, and he will be missed. We will continue to keep him and his family in our prayers.”
“Few people in the history of our organization have become as synonymous with the Pacers franchise as David Benner. That’s not only because of his decades as a member of our family, but more because of his incredible impact on this team and the legacy he leaves behind. David is respected throughout the League and throughout the city as a consummate professional, and he is a mentor and friend to many in our industry and beyond. Most importantly, to me, he is a an exceptionally kind and decent man, a man of extraordinary integrity who always had the best interests of his players and coaches at the center of everything he did. The hole his passing left in the hearts of those who knew him He will never be fully healed, and we will miss him and pray for him and his family.”
“It’s hard to overstate what David Benner means to the Indiana Pacers, the NBA, his family, and friends. He has an infectious personality and a unique sense of humor that anyone fortunate enough to meet can see. David has been fiercely loyal and fiercely protective of this franchise, our players, and coaches for nearly three decades serving in his role, humbly and respectfully providing valuable guidance and advice during that time, while also became a dear friend and confidant. David will be greatly missed, and our thoughts during this difficult time are his wife Jane, his brothers Bill, Larry, and Sue, and all those who held him very close to their hearts.”
David Benner’s life is a life of sports in his beloved central Indiana. A proud “Southsider”, he attended Center Grove High School, Indiana University, and IUPUI. As a student, he began writing for the Indianapolis Star part-time in the newspaper’s sports department in 1979. He eventually became The Star’s full-time beat writer for a team he loved growing up. pa – the Indiana Pacers. After eight years after the NBA, he began covering two iconic programs – Notre Dame football and IU basketball. After a successful career in sports journalism, he got a call to move into public relations and in 1994-95 he joined the Pacers as Director of Media Relations, a position he held for 28 years. will retire in 2022.
