Indiana Pacers, We Thank You
My thoughts on the playoff run
I never thought that this year’s Indiana Pacers would amount to much.
I was wrong.
Horribly, horribly wrong.
Being an NBA fan and a fan of the Pacers, I thought that last year’s success was basically the best we could do based on the deeper teams throughout the NBA. I was actually thrilled with the team on reaching the Eastern Conference finals and pretty surprised with the results of making the deep run into the playoffs. In my mind, before this season even started, I believed the Pacers would be a middle-of-the-road team in the East and probably lose in the second round of the playoffs.
That’s what literally everyone thought, from the casual fan to even the coaches and players in the NBA.
During the 2023-2024 season, I watched the Pacers play inconsistently, off and on throughout the season, both in the regular season and the first round of the playoffs. However, I glued in to watch them play the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, as Pacers fans my age and older will forever remember Reggie Miller and Spike Lee going at each other in the mid-90’s and the battles that the teams had.
Being a kid living in a small town in southern Indiana, the giddiness that I felt for the Pacers was unmatched for about 3 or 4 seasons. I read every article, especially articles about Reggie. I watched ESPN constantly, trying to find one little fact about the Pacers that I could share with my elementary-school friends who would be surprised to know that I knew so much about basketball. In my small world, I loved the Pacers and everything they did. When Reggie scored the 8 points in 13 seconds against the Knicks, I ran outside screaming, wildly and passionately, trying to find my mom and tell her the unbelievable news!
She was not impressed.
Both the Pacers and the Knicks won series in the playoffs against one-another 30 years ago, but I was once-again giddy with anticipation last year. The Pacers ultimately won that series, before being swept by the eventual-champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
Fast-forward to this year. To tell the truth, I was more inconsistent watching the team play in the regular season. I didn’t take my daughter or son to a game this year, especially during the regular season when ticket prices were cheaper than they are during the playoffs. The team’s record at one point was 10-15. During the holiday break, I was thinking about writing for Substack and about my life’s goals.
I was not thinking about the Pacers. At all.
My feelings for the team midseason were hazy at best, simply because I figured that they would bow out gracefully from the playoffs - like they always do. Being a “midmarket” team (and I would argue at the bottom of midmarket teams), the Pacers cannot attract free agents. When potentially shopping for new leadership, the owners of the Pacers do not the luxury of asking for the $10B price tag that some other teams do. The Pacers ended up being the 4th seed in the East for the playoff run, which was higher than I expected, not paying enough attention at the end of the season.
Everything pointed to quick exit from the playoffs, followed by another off-season where the Pacers are drafting in the middle of the first round and moving on to next season.
But my heart was once-again bear-hugged by the excitement, the last-second heroics, and heartache that this Pacers team provided to the world during the playoffs.
I know that Game 7 of the NBA finals was this past Sunday. I know that the Pacers lost to the Thunder. I know that Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon and is out for all of next year and the team, without Tyrese for the last 3 quarters, fought valiantly to make game 7 close. I know that Tyrese was voted the most overrated player in the NBA, and that he proved, overwhelmingly, his value to the Pacers. He showed the rest of the league who doubted him and whoever voted him the most overrated player that they were wrong.
Kind of like I was.
Every moment of every playoff game, I sat transfixed. And the deeper the Pacers went into the playoffs, the more and more I was in awe of how well they were playing. When the Pacers scored 80 points in the first half at home against the Cavs? Beautiful basketball. When the Pacers were down by roughly 10 points in a game in every series with right around a minute to go but ultimately won the game? Unbelievable. When the Pacers won on the road in Game 1 of the finals on a last-second shot by Tyrese. My heart was pumping at about 120 bpm. At 11:15pm. With the rest of my family sleeping, I couldn’t yell and scream at the top of my lungs that we won. I had to silently cheer for the Pacers, with as much exhilaration as I could muster.
This year’s Pacers meant so much to me and the rest of the people of Indianapolis because they believed. From my limited experience playing basketball, I know that a team that believes they can and will win is just as important as a talented team. I don’t know the X’s and O’s of basketball at a high level, but I do know that the belief the Pacers had in themselves was stronger than about 95% of the basketball-watching public. Including Pacers fans.
This season, and especially the playoff run, might have been the greatest Indiana-bred sports experience of my lifetime. Yes, that’s including the playoff run of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts in 2006. Yes, that’s including the push by the IU men’s basketball team in 2002, when they went to the championship game but lost to Maryland.
My heart rose and fell with every game during the playoffs. Toward the end of this season, I was a casual observer of the Pacers, one with a passing interest in what they were doing and how they were performing. However, during the playoffs, my appreciation for the way the Pacers were playing returned. And with my appreciation, my love for the game of basketball returned.
I know that the “love” for a particular sports team or of a sport is kind of stupid. I love my wife, my kids, my family and friends - period, and without any conditions. If I didn’t have an NBA team in my hometown, I would be fine. I really would. But this playoff run was incredibly special, and I would be hard-pressed to come up with any sporting event or events that could match this amazing playoff run. In my opinion, more people will remember the triumphant moments of this Pacers team than will remember the champions. And that’s saying something.
Thank you, Indiana Pacers, for every incredible moment during these playoffs. Every Pacers fan was touched by the team’s resiliency and toughmindedness.
Go Pacers!