McKinney joined the Indiana Pacers the following season in 1980–81.[1] He was hired at the insistence of a guilt-ridden Buss, who was business partners with Pacers owner Frank Mariani.[19][20] In his first season, McKinney was named the NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Pacers to their first playoff appearance since the former American Basketball Association (ABA) team joined the NBA during the ABA–NBA merger of 1976.