Hoops Hobby

Within the last month, I started writing to former Pacers along with my 6 year old son, hoping to get responses with answers to questions, and some cards signed as well for the Pacers autograph collection. Two of the first responses were from Adrian Dantley and Bob Arnzen.

Adrian Dantley is a fantastic through the mail (TTM) signer, a Hall of Famer, and a former Pacer, so I knew I needed to send some mail to him. The problem was, as I mentioned in my writeup of Pacers players with lasts names starting with ‘D’, Dantley doesn’t have any Pacers cards, or so I thought. With a google search, I came across RetroCards.net and its fantastic retro card sets across multiple sports. Included in the 1978-79T Series 3 is a ‘Card that Never Was’, or that’s what I’m calling it, of Adrian Dantley as a Pacer using the 1978-79 Topps design. It didn’t take me long to order this set, and once the set came in, send off the Dantley card to the Hall of Famer. 10 days or so later, I found the autographed card in my mailbox along with a response to the note that my son and I wrote. Mission accomplished.

Bob Arnzen played college basketball for Notre Dame, then played in the ABA for the New York Nets, in the NBA for the Cincinnati Royals, while playing minor league baseball in the Expos’ organization. He won an ABA Championship with the Pacers in 1973, and he was quick to return this 1971-72 Topps card along with responses to our letter.

I also like the trivia question on the back of the card asking about a ‘trapped ball’. Just saying the term ‘trapped ball’ I might not have known the specific scenario being referenced. I would have thought it was a jump ball, but this is a pinned ball against the glass. These cards are great.

Looking forward to sending out more cards to former Pacers over the coming months, and I have to say, these two returns beat most autographed cards I could go out and purchase on eBay at any given time. It’s just a treat to hear back from former athletes.