ATLANTA (AP) - Mike Storen, a former ABA commissioner and multisport marketing whiz and the father of ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, has died. He was 84.
Storm said her father died Thursday at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta of complications from cancer.
Known for his hearty laugh and creative mind, Storen rose to executive spots in basketball, football, baseball and tennis during a four-decade career in sports. Storen was general manager of the Indiana Pacers and Kentucky Colonels and president of the Atlanta Hawks.
The Pacers issued a statement on the passing of Storen, who was the first general manager in franchise history.
"He paved the way for the Pacers' eventual entry into the NBA by putting together a talented front office and assembling a roster led by eventual Hall of Famers Roger Brown and Mel Daniels. He hired Hall of Famer Bobby "Slick" Leonard as head coach in the Pacers' second season, was instrumental in choosing the name "Pacers," designed the team's first logo and chose its blue and gold colors," the statement read.
He owned the ABA’s Memphis Sounds, worked for the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA and the Houston Astros.
