Overview

Mike Storen (September 14, 1935 – May 7, 2020) was an American sports executive who worked across multiple professional sports. He is best known for his early role with the Indiana Pacers and for serving as commissioner of the American Basketball Association (ABA) at a pivotal moment in its history. Over a career that included positions in basketball, baseball, and football, Storen combined promotional skill and front-office leadership during the 1960s and 1970s.

Early career and team management

Storen began his professional sports career in team promotion and operations. Early work with the Chicago Zephyrs led to a role as promotions director, a position that exposed him to the organizational side of major-league teams. In 1967 he became the first general manager of the newly formed Indiana Pacers of the ABA, guiding the franchise through its formative seasons from 1967 to 1969. He later became a part-owner of the Kentucky Colonels, one of the ABA's most prominent clubs.

Commissioner of the ABA and the merger era

In 1973 Storen was appointed commissioner of the ABA. His tenure coincided with a period of intense competition between the ABA and the more established National Basketball Association (NBA). As commissioner he worked with team owners, league officials, and broadcasters to strengthen the ABA’s position and to manage cross-league negotiations. These efforts were part of a complex process that culminated three years later in the ABA–NBA merger, a major reorganization that reshaped professional basketball in the United States.

Roles, responsibilities and style

Throughout his career Storen was known for roles that blended promotion, negotiation and day-to-day team management. His responsibilities typically included:

  • Team promotion and public relations to build fan interest.
  • Franchise administration, including player and staff decisions.
  • League-level negotiation and coordination among competing stakeholders.

Those skills proved especially important in an era when emerging leagues competed for talent, media attention and limited financial resources.

Legacy and personal notes

Born in Michigan City, Indiana, Storen remained connected to Midwestern sports throughout his career. He died on May 7, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia at age 84. Beyond his administrative accomplishments, he is remembered for helping to steer the ABA during a crucial transition and for his influence on several franchises. He was also the father of television sportscaster Hannah Storm, which linked his family to later generations of sports media figures.

Significance and distinctions

Mike Storen represents a generation of executives who moved between teams and leagues to build professional sports in the postwar United States. While not as widely recognized as some coaches or owners, his work in promotion, franchise building and league-level negotiation helped shape the business environment that allowed professional basketball to expand and eventually reunify under the NBA banner.

Further reading on teams and leagues mentioned in this article can be found through resources that document the history of the basketball leagues, the early franchises such as the Chicago Zephyrs and the Indiana Pacers, and the larger institutional story of the NBA and ABA rivalry.