NBA coaches are often expected to keep their emotions in check. It applies even when the pressure of a season leaves little room for anything outside basketball. But for Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, a moment before facing the Philadelphia 76ers carried a far more personal weight. The championship-winning coach opened up about losing his father.
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A 96-year-old man whose influence extended well beyond his family, whom he described as “the greatest hero of my life.”
Carlisle explained why the Pacers organization’s support meant so much during one of the hardest moments of his life.
“Before we start, I want to give a big thank you to our organization for something that happened a little over three weeks ago,” the Pacers coach said as he began his pregame presser at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The former NBA Champ thanked the organization for helping him reach his hometown of Albany, New York, after receiving news about his 96-year-old father, Preston C. Carlisle.
“My dad’s 96. We were in practice on a Friday. I think it was the third of October, and I was called out of practice. There was a call from home. 96 years old. Guy lived an amazing life with an indomitable spirit to live, to compete, to give, to give to people, and so generous. And he was… It got to a point where the last ten days or so were very difficult. Lived a life where a guy that never ever complained about anything, and even at the very, very end, did not complain once.”
“And so your organization made it possible for me that day to be at practice and get up to Albany, New York, where I’m from, to see him, and I was able to be there on the day that he passed, which was the fourth of October. And thankfully, he passed peacefully. He lived a life that wasn’t peaceful by any stretch, but he was the greatest hero of my life.”
The coach also thanked Pacers owner Herb Simon and president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard for helping arrange his trip.
Preston Carlisle was more than the father of an NBA champion.
He was a respected attorney and public servant in Ogdensburg, New York, whose legal career spanned nearly six decades. After serving four years in the U.S. Army, he earned his law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1961. He established his law firm in Ogdensburg the following year.
His public service included working as corporate counsel for Ogdensburg beginning in 1963 and serving as the first assistant district attorney for St. Lawrence County from 1967 to 1975. He also supported community organizations, including the local Boys and Girls Club, where his commitment to helping young people left a lasting mark.
Speaking of his legacy, coach Rick Carlisle added:
“I am thankful to the organization for giving me the opportunity to be there to honor a great man, great father, great husband, great grandfather, 19 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. Preston C. Carlisle, an all-time great. So thank you, Herb. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you, Pacers organization.”
Rick will be away from the Pacers on Friday, October 30, to attend his father’s memorial service in Ogdensburg. Associate head coach Lloyd Pierce will lead Indiana against the Miami Heat in Carlisle’s absence.
For Carlisle, stepping away from the team comes after decades spent building a career among basketball’s most respected coaches.
He won an NBA championship as a player with the Boston Celtics in 1986 before leading the Dallas Mavericks to the title in 2011. He has also surpassed 1,000 career coaching wins, another rare feat held by only a few coaches.
The Pacers will face Miami without their head coach on the sideline. But Carlisle’s absence has a purpose far removed from basketball.