[1] During the offseason, former Pacers head coach Larry Bird was named President of Basketball Operations.
Also during the offseason, the Pacers acquired Scot Pollard from the Sacramento Kings in a three-team trade and signed free agent Kenny Anderson.
Both O'Neal and Artest were selected for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, with Carlisle coaching the Eastern Conference.
Second-year guard Fred Jones won the Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
They proceeded to defeat the 4th-seeded Miami Heat 4–2 in the second round, earning the Pacers their sixth spot in the Eastern Conference finals in 11 years.