Jan 12, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) passes the ball in the first half against the Boston Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

T.J. McConnell makes NBA history

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Major Passons | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 1:00 PM ET

For the past seven years there has been one player that has been synonymous with the Indiana Pacers. Others have come and gone, but this man remains and is one of the heartbeats of the organization. Oh, and he does it all while coming off the bench. That man is T.J. McConnell.

McConnell joined the Pacers in the 2019 – 2020 NBA season and since then he has become a staple. He has been one of the most dependable back up point guards in the league as he consistently makes winning plays. He is the perfect rotation player because you know what you will get and he is always ready to bring the energy.

He is currently in his 11th season in the NBA and has appeared in 736 regular season games. For most of his career he has come off the bench, really all but his sophomore year where he made 51 starts. In total he only has 97 starts to his name and in his time with Indiana he has only made 25 starts in 422 appearances.

Making history

In my opinion, McConnell’s best strength is his passing ability, and this has led him to rack up a total of 3,694 assists. Though his overall assists numbers are nothing to make league history, how he got them is. The number of games he has coming in off the bench has become important because he has now become only the 2nd player in NBA history to achieve 3,000 assists as a reserve, joining longtime veteran and three time 6th Man of the Year winner Lou Williams.

In last Friday’s contest against the New Orleans Pelicans, McConnel dished out 9 assists to reach the milestone and help the Pacers get their 10th win of the season. This milestone shows the greatness of McConell. Not many players are able to carve out 11 year careers of strictly being a reserve, and many struggle to find a way to continue to put up high assists numbers.

So, this might not be the year Pacers fans will remember, but at least for McConnell he can look back proudly. Doing something that only one other person has accomplished in the NBA’s history is impressive.

The best part is that McConnell does not look like he will slow down anytime soon. So, there is a great chance he will pass Williams total of 3,262 assist off the bench and become the king of assists for reserves.

This article first appeared on Indianapolis Pacers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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