No one had expected the Indiana Pacers to reach the 2025 NBA Finals, but they already have a 1-0 lead over the OKC Thunder.
There’s no doubt that the duo Tyrese Halliburton and Pascal Siakam are talented, but it was a shock to see them leading the Pacer to the final.
Despite being suspected at every stage of the way, Pacer is currently ahead of the lightning in the league’s biggest stage.
One of the key reasons behind the team’s success is the presence of veterans like Siakam, who have already won the NBA Championship.
Siakam was part of the 2019 Toronto Raptors’ starting five, winning the NBA Championship.
With that in mind, Pacers’ Obi Toppin explained how organizations are using it during the availability of NBA Final Media.
“It was very important. He recently exchanged it with the Raptors and got that ring. Every day he always throws us things that we should be in the depths of our hearts.
“We’re all like sponges, we’re just taking everything they’re saying and getting better,” he added.
Toppin’s answer shows how the Pacers’ current roster is selfish. There’s no superstar, but that doesn’t matter because for the Pacers they have the “next guy” mentality.
It’s not wrong to say that Siakam’s fingerprints are on this whole team, thanks to his previous championship experience.
It’s one thing to learn from Siakam’s experience as a sponge and leader, but the fact that he loves playing with him is completely different.
Luckily, Toppin found both things in Sheakam.
The 27-year-old said, “Everyone enjoys playing with each other and we love each other. We have a lot of fun and enjoy playing this game so we can see everything. We’re going to continue doing that.”
This unique brand of basketball has brought a marvel to Pacers as they have only won three wins this season since winning the first ever NBA Championship.