Indiana Pacers exit interviews: Gabe York got the most out of his G League experience and showed it with the Pacers

Gabe York has only played in five NBA games during his two years in the pros, both with the Indiana Pacers. Of the five games, three of them came on the road in a memorable fashion — in Philadelphia against James Harden, Joel Embiid and the 76ers, in Brooklyn against Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and the Nets, and in the iconic Madison Square Garden. York has had some special travel opportunities at the top level.

This season, he got to add to that list. The 29-year old guard played in a home game for the first time in the NBA as he suited up twice in Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the Pacers. He received nearly 45 minutes of playing time in front of Indiana fans and scored 17 points.

"Being able to get some NBA points here in Gainbridge was just icing on the cake," York said of his season at his exit interview. He played in three games for the blue and gold.

York proved in the G League that he is still ascending as a player. He was named G League Player of the Week three times as he averaged 22.1 points per game for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants across all competitions this season.

His three-point shooting was particularly impressive. He knocked down 39.4% of his 409 attempts with plenty of them coming off the dribble. After finishing his 2021-22 G League season at 33.8% from long range, York grew as a scorer from beyond the arc.

That translated to the NBA. The 29-year old guard knocked down six threes in his three games with the Pacers this season, including a 3/6 performance against the Knicks. His second season concluded at a slightly below average 33.3% from deep, but that is still an improvement from his rookie campaign.

York got better in other ways, too. He grabbed five rebounds in one game against the Detroit Pistons, and he didn't turn the ball over once in his 56 minutes of playing time. He's an imperfect player, but he showed improvement from his first stint with the Pacers to his second.

"I do belong here and I can help a team," York said of what he hoped he showed other NBA teams.

The California native credits the G League, and specifically the Mad Ants close proximity to the Pacers geographically, for some of his growth opportunities. The Mad Ants play in Fort Wayne, roughly two hours away from Indianapolis. But they sometimes practice or play games in the Pacers facilities, which have more resources available for the G League club. It also puts the Fort Wayne players in front of Indiana's staff.

"You're just closer. You're much closer to the environment, to the organization," York said of going through the G League to climb to the NBA. "Especially here. Not every team practices and is a part of the NBA organization. They're usually off-site."

That helped York. He noted that he never knew who was watching this season, whether it be a Pacers coach, executive, or anyone else, and that pushed him to always play his best. In the end, that led to a late-season call up to the NBA team. It was all worth it.

"Just want to give huge thanks and shout out to the Pacers organization and even guys on the team for making me feel welcome," York said. He was consistently in a good mood during the few weeks he spent with the blue and gold, and his teammates took a shine to his personality and skills.

In a trio of games, York averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game this season. He helped the team win their final game of the campaign over the New York Knicks, which was the first win at the NBA level for the guard.

York's path to the NBA was unique. He didn't debut in the league until he was 28, and he is still crescendoing as a 29-year old now. He said he wants to play for a long time, and he's rarely been injured throughout his career.

The next step for him is a longer stint with a team. "Stay vigilant. Stay focused. Keep my head down, keep working. Same thing I did last year, keep continuing to work on my body," York said of his free agency focus.

Maybe the University of Arizona product gets scooped up again next season. If not, though, he has proven that he knows what it takes to get back to the NBA via the G League. York has seen the value in that journey, and it paid off for Indiana this season.