Pacers Owner HERB SIMON's son, STEVE, is a "quirky, tree-hugging environmentalist, who’s been known to sling on a backpack, take a jaunt to New Zealand and hike for weeks at a time," but he is also the "heir who will own and run" the team after his father, according to a profile by Dana Benbow of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. However, he "still doesn't fit the mold" of his business mogul father. Steve Simon is a "soft, kind, almost sappy guy." For nearly 20 years, Simon has been "learning the ins and outs of running an NBA team" from his father. They have been "plotting a succession plan that will put Steve Simon at the helm" of the Pacers. But Simon "does not like the spotlight." He said that he has "never granted an interview to media." But he "started thinking" that as owner "maybe he should 'come out, so to speak.'" The Pacers, in Herb Simon's mind, are "his son's team." The succession plan "isn’t a straight line." It is an "up and down and curvy road," and it is a "road that doesn’t have an end until Herb Simon steps down or dies." Steve is "more involved with the budget and day-to-day matters." He said, "Besides helping make major financial decisions, as importantly, my job is to make sure we have the right talent and resources to execute on our strategic initiatives, and empower them to lead and execute without micro management." Simon "doesn't offer specifics on what might change for the team when he officially takes over." But he is "most definitely thinking about the consumer side of things." Simon: "Thinking about our brand and how we articulate it, how we create content, how we’re resonating with our consumers or our fans and making connections with them and wowing them ... that does invigorate me. I love brands" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/6).
