INDIANAPOLIS — Matt Asen is a man of many names. The back of his jersey says “Pacers Guy” but he’s been known around the streets of Indianapolis as “Flamingo Guy”, “Sign Guy” and now “Clock Guy.”
First and foremast, Asen has been a Pacers fan, and one of the biggest, for nearly 40 years.
”I’ve been to all the home playoff games since 1993,” Asen said.
He spoke to FOX59 and CBS4 from his Oklahoma City hotel room. Asen is going behind enemy lines for the Pacers first NBA Finals game in 25 years against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night.
”I have a lot of people who look for the signs and look for the flamingo and they know they’re being supported in enemy territory,” Asen said.
Asen’s history of Pacers playoff games goes back to the very first one in the 1993-94 season against the Atlanta Hawks. He was personally invited by current Pacers Owner Herb Simon.
”I got my ticket at will call and it was the Spike Lee seat, on the wood courtside,” Asen said. “I had never sat in the first 20 rows of any arena in my whole life.”
To the game, Asen brought a pink flamingo. He had used it earlier in the weekend so his friends could spot him in the crowd at a Chicago baseball game, but after the Pacers won, the ceramic bird took on a new life.
”Mel Simon was still alive then when I went to the celebration suite after the game, he was like, ‘Who was the guy with the bird, he’s gotta come back. He’s good luck here,'” Asen said, remembering the more than 30-year-old moment.
The tradition has now continued with Asen bringing inflatable flamingos to games. He’s created quite a collection.
”I write with a magic marker where they are,” he said. “I have them from the Final Fours. I have them from the Colts Super Bowl. So it’s a lot of fun to look back at all the great times I’ve had.”
With the flamingo comes a custom sign Asen designs and creates himself. His sign for Game 1 of the NBA Finals is a cartoon picture of known Knicks fans Stephen A Smith and Spike Lee in tears, holding each other. The sign says “Sorry Spike! But oh those Pacers!.”
”I like to jab him [Spike Lee] a little bit because he’s such a Knick fan and he doesn’t like me anymore because we keep winning,” Asen said.
Asen has also expanded his fan antics to include a larger sign with a countdown clock on it. He’s used the clock when the Pacers play the Milwaukee Bucks. With it, he times how long it takes Bucks All Star Giannis Antetokounmpo to shoot free throws. The limit is 10 seconds and Antetokounmpo has built a reputation of going longer.
Asen said that’s what he gets recognized most for.
”Now I walk down the street in Indianapolis and ‘Hey, it’s clock guy,'” Asen said.
Throughout the years, he’s built relationships with players and fans alike. He just talked to Pacer legend Reggie Miller at the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Finals and Asen said former Pacer Jalen Rose complimented Asen for his dedication.
”I saw him after the Knick victory and he gave me a big hug,” Asen said.
But, of everyone he’s made connections with over the years, there’s no one Asen wants this championship more for than Herb Simon and his family.
”I’m cheering for him because he’s such a sweet heart,” Asen said. “He’s taken me into the Pacer family.”
Asen said he’ll be at every Pacer home game during the Finals cheering the team on.
“Hopefully we can get a championship, because I’m getting kind of old, and it’s getting kind of hard to get around,” Asen said. “And I can retire, semi-retire from being the Pacer guy, pass it on to somebody else.”
If you’re looking for Asen Thursday night with his sign and pink flamingo, you can find him in his seat behind the Pacers bench.
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