FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - A lot of Hoosiers believe basketball is a way of life, especially right now as the Pacers make a historic run in the NBA Finals.
One Fort Wayne man’s decades old song now, makes more sense than ever.
You might have never heard the song “Take Me To The Game James,” but for local musician, John Schmucker, the song means everything.
He wants his ode to basketball culture in Indiana to become an anthem across the state - especially for Pacers fans.
“I was born with music in my soul,” Schmucker says.
Sports too: two things that he couldn’t easily enjoy growing up Amish.
“But I had to be careful, I had to keep the radio hid. Got my first guitar at 16 years old, had to keep it hidden of course,” he explains.
But years later Schmucker knew he had to follow his passion.
“The idea of basketball just stayed with me stayed with me, until I decided I’m going to write a song about Indiana basketball,” he says.
And that’s exactly what he did back in 1993.
“This is what I came up with, ‘Take Me To The Game James.’ It’s an Indiana thing I can guarantee you that.”
With lyrics like, “From Fort Wayne to Kokomo to down in Evansville, it’s got the whole town shaking and it probably always will,” Schmucker says he wants the song to reach Hoosiers everywhere.
“And I’m hoping that this basketball song, that the meaning and the heart in it is pure. And I speak for probably 7 million Hoosiers,” he says.
Especially now while the Indiana Pacers compete for their first ever NBA Championship.
Schmucker says if any Pacers fans get a chance to listen, “their reaction would please me if it were a high five, and a ‘yeah!’ like you really mean it and ‘I’m your brother.’ This is basketball in Indiana man you can’t top it.”
Of course, he hopes the Pacers can seal the deal in the finals.
But? He wants his Hoosier basketball anthem can find some new life on a historic run as well.
“I just wish they could play it at the game! They haven’t won it yet, so I don’t want to talk like that but man if they can bring that NBA title to Indianapolis, this is Indiana baby!”
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