SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WISH) — Sunday was a memorable day for Pacers Sports & Entertainment Chairman and Owner Herb Simon. That’s because Simon, who is the longest-tenured owner in NBA history, was officially enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony. Simon was inducted into the Hall of Fame under the “contributors” category. Back in April, it was officially announced that Simon would be part of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. “It means a lot,” Simon told News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff back in April. “For someone who never hit a three-pointer, never dunked the ball, to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame is a real special honor. I owe it to a lot of people in the fact I was put in a position to guide the Pacers for the last many years.” Simon was one of the first members of the Class of 2024 to give his speech during Sunday night’s ceremony. “One of the things I have realized is that I’m still excited for the start of a new season,” Simon said during his speech. “After 41 years, I’m still as excited as ever.” Simon, along with his brother Melvin, purchased the Pacers in 1983. He reflected on how it happened during his speech. “In a last ditch effort to save the team, Jim Morris as a spokesman, the mayor of Indianapolis and several city leaders came to see my brother Mel and I about buying the team and keeping it in the city,” Simon said. “They thought we’d be the perfect people to do it. And we were so honored that they came to us for help. As I recall, the meeting only lasted 20 or 30 minutes. At the end of it, we owned the team.” Mel Simon passed away in Sept. 2009. And on Sunday, his younger brother, Herb, honored Mel. “If ever an award deserved two names on it, this one deserves it,” Simon said. “So, in closing, I want to dedicate this recognition to the memory of my brother Mel.” Larry Bird, Tamika Catchings and Reggie Miller were presenters for Simon during Sunday’s ceremony. SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 13: Herb Simon (R) speaks as Larry Bird, Tamika Catchings and Reggie Miller listen on during the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Induction at Symphony Hall on October 13, 2024 in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) Simon will turn 90 years old on Pacers opening night, when they face the Pistons on Oct. 23 in Detroit, Mich.