Myles Turner sets Indiana Pacers franchise record for total blocks: 'Hopefully it'll be there for a long time'

Turner is in the Pacers record books

Feb 12, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) is blocked / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner is now the Pacers franchise record holder for total blocks.

Entering Friday night, the 27-year old had 1,243 blocks — two behind Jermaine O'Neal for the most by a player wearing a Pacers uniform. He needed to get three against the Golden State Warriors to take the record himself, something he discussed earlier in the week.

"It's a rarity that anybody can step into the league and lead a franchise in something or set a record. Obviously it would mean a great deal," Turner said a few days before breaking the record. He ended Friday's game with five blocks.

Turner has been a premier shot blocker for his entire career. As a rookie, it was clear that he had defensive chops — despite toggling between the four and five positions in his first season while often coming off the bench, the Texas product swatted 1.4 shots per game. It was a skill that gave Turner a base to build his game out from.

He became a full-time starter at center the following season, and his rim protection took off. Between learning from veterans like Ian Mahinmi and Al Jefferson as well as an increase in minutes, Turner became rock-solid on the less glamorous end of the floor quickly. His abilities in drop coverage — a defensive strategy that required Turner to keep track of a ball handler and roll man simultaneously after defending screens — stood out.

In just his fourth season, the 2015 lottery pick averaged a league-leading 2.7 blocks per game and finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He was everywhere around the rim, and Indiana had the third-ranked defense that season. Turner was the anchor behind it all. Over the course of that campaign, he had 199 blocks, the third-most in a single season in Pacers history. That number also topped the NBA, and his career number reached 575 after that campaign, which already ranked eighth in Pacers history.

Two seasons later, the two-way big man once again led the league with his block average. Turner only managed 47 appearances in 2020-21, but he swatted a whopping 3.4 shots per game and finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting despite missing nearly 35% of his team's games. That's how impactful he was at his peak defensively.

"He was always a topic. Pretty high on the list that if you drove, you're going to kick it out because he was leading the league," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle remembered about coaching against Turner. "He'll get this record and he'll shatter the whole thing... he's got a great knack for it."

Beyond being terrific at containing certain pick-and-roll coverages, Turner's timing and instincts while rotating from the weak side are sublime. When his team is a strong defensive group, he can stack blocks all day long.

In the recent era of the blue and gold, that has been more difficult. The blue and gold have struggled defensively in general, and Turner's impact on the defensive end shifted from being a block maestro to covering ground in the spirit of helping others. He is still an important player on that end of the court, but his block numbers have dipped.

Yet he was still able to grab the franchise record. His high defensive peak, longevity, and loyalty to the Pacers franchise made it all possible. He has been with Indiana for his entire nine-year career and signed another contract extension with the franchise last January.

"It's emotional, man. I'm not going to cry, but it's emotional," Turner said of getting the record on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of Pacers vs Warriors. "Hopefully it'll be there for a long time."

Friday night was Turner's 560th game with the franchise. O'Neal played in 514, and Roy Hibbert suited up for 533. Those three have all roamed the paint for Indiana during the 2000s and had a reputation for their effective defense. They, along with Rik Smits and Herb Williams, hold down the top-five spots on the franchise's block list. Turner's career blocks per game number (2.2) ranks second in franchise history behind O'Neal.

But Turner has stayed with the franchise for the longest time, and his 3.4 blocks per game season is a tough record to beat in Indiana's history. The next best season is O'Neal at 2.8. Turner's 2.7 blocks per game season ranks third.

"I talked to him a little bit about it last year. He's been encouraging me saying 'go get it'," Turner said of his prior conversations with O'Neal about the record. O'Neal's Dallas-based Drive Nation Sports facility is where Turner holds an annual basketball camp.

As Indiana has transitioned from era to era with different stars leading the way, Myles Turner has been the one constant. His defense and shooting make him a seamless fit with any type of team. That kept him with the Pacers despite constant trade rumors and changes elsewhere. He has grown up with Indiana, and the franchise has grown because of him.

Now, he's in the record books as the team's all-time blocks leader. He swatted a dunk attempt from Jonathan Kuminga early in the third quarter of Friday's game and claimed his spot alone at the top. It's a well-deserved record for a player who has prided himself on defense for his entire career. All of his blocks, sorted by player, can be found here.

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