Sometimes the most beautiful moments in sports happen when past and present collide in perfect harmony. That’s exactly what unfolded at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Thursday night, as former Pacers legends watched in awe while the current squad demolished the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 to force a winner-take-all Game 7.
Picture this scene: Metta Sandiford-Artest sitting courtside, still buzzing with excitement hours after the final buzzer, trying to process what might be the most significant victory in franchise history. Across the arena, Rik Smits – the towering Dutch center who spent his entire 12-year career in Indianapolis – was soaking in the atmosphere like a proud basketball parent watching his kids finally reach their potential.
These weren’t just casual observers enjoying a playoff game. These were warriors who bled Indiana blue and gold, who came tantalizingly close to championship glory but never quite got there. Now they’re watching a new generation of Pacers do something they never could: force a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
The ghosts of championships past still linger
Let’s talk about that elephant in the room – or should we say, that 25-year-old championship-sized hole in Indiana basketball history. The 2000 Pacers came closer than anyone thought possible, but they never led their Finals series against the Lakers and ultimately fell 4-2. That team was loaded with talent but couldn’t quite get over the hump when it mattered most.
Then there’s the 2004-05 season, which still makes Pacers fans want to throw things at their television screens. That squad was absolutely stacked and genuinely believed they had championship-level talent. But then the infamous Malice at the Palace happened, and suddenly their title hopes went up in smoke faster than a cheap firework.
The brawl in Detroit didn’t just end their season – it basically nuked what could’ve been a dynasty. Sandiford-Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Jermaine O’Neal all got suspended for significant chunks of the season, turning a potential championship team into a cautionary tale about keeping your cool under pressure.
Stephen Jackson, who was right in the thick of that 2005 chaos, couldn’t help but think about those what-if scenarios while watching Thursday’s celebration unfold. The pain of that missed opportunity still stings, but seeing the current team succeed helps heal some of those old wounds.
This Pacers team operates completely differently
What makes this current Indiana squad so fascinating is how they’ve flipped the traditional championship formula on its head. The 2000 team relied heavily on veteran stars – four of their five starters were 30 or older, including a 35-year-old Reggie Miller who was trying to cap off his Hall of Fame career with that elusive title.
These 2025 Pacers? They’re led by 25-year-old Tyrese Haliburton, who’s been putting on an absolute clinic during this postseason run. But here’s the beautiful part – they don’t need him to be superhuman every single night. Thursday’s victory was the perfect example, with Obi Toppin coming off the bench to lead all scorers with 20 points.
That kind of balanced attack is exactly what championship teams need when the pressure gets cranked up to maximum volume. Different guys stepping up on different nights, everyone knowing their role, nobody worried about individual statistics when team success is on the line. It’s basketball poetry in motion, and these Pacers legends are loving every minute of it.
Sandiford-Artest made a particularly interesting observation about how this team’s success could change the entire NBA landscape. Instead of chasing superstar duos or big-name free agents, maybe franchises will start focusing more on building deep, balanced rosters where anyone can be the hero on any given night.
The emotional weight of 25 years of waiting
You can’t fully appreciate what this moment means without understanding the decades of disappointment that preceded it. Indiana basketball isn’t just a sport in this state – it’s basically a religion with generational followers who’ve been waiting their entire lives for this opportunity.
Smits spent his entire career in Indianapolis, watching the franchise come close but never quite reach that ultimate prize. Now he’s seeing a completely different style of team potentially accomplish what his squads couldn’t. There’s probably some bittersweet emotion there, but mostly it seems like pure joy at watching his beloved franchise finally get their moment.
The fan base connection runs incredibly deep in Indiana. These aren’t bandwagon supporters who showed up when things got exciting – these are multi-generational families who’ve been riding the emotional roller coaster for decades. When Lance Stephenson gets shown on the video board and receives ovations that rival Reggie Miller’s, you know this community has a special relationship with its basketball heroes.
Game 7 represents the ultimate test
Sunday’s winner-take-all showdown will be the NBA’s first Game 7 since 2016, which feels like the perfect setup for maximum drama. The Pacers have proven they can win big games at home, but now they’ll need to do it on the road with everything on the line.
Lance Stephenson, still buzzing with confidence after Thursday’s dominant performance, seems convinced that Indiana has what it takes to finish the job. His reasoning is pretty compelling – this team genuinely doesn’t have any ego problems, and everyone’s willing to sacrifice individual glory for team success.
That might sound like generic sports clichés, but it’s actually pretty rare in today’s NBA. Too many teams get derailed by personality conflicts or players worried about their personal statistics. These Pacers seem to have figured out the formula for keeping everyone happy and focused on the same goal.
Legacy implications for everyone involved
Win or lose, this playoff run has already exceeded most people’s expectations for Indiana. But actually winning it all would create an entirely different level of historical significance. These players would become the first Pacers in NBA history to hoist that championship trophy, which is the kind of legacy that follows you forever.
For the legends watching from the sidelines, a championship would provide some closure for all those near-misses and what-if scenarios. It wouldn’t erase the disappointment of 2000 or the frustration of 2005, but it would prove that championship-level success is possible in Indianapolis when everything aligns properly.
The beautiful thing about sports is how past and present can come together in moments like these. Former players who gave everything for the franchise get to witness the current generation potentially accomplishing their shared dream. It’s like watching your kids succeed where you fell short – painful and beautiful at the same time.
Sunday’s Game 7 will determine whether this becomes just another great playoff run or the defining moment in Pacers franchise history. Either way, having two generations of Indiana legends united in support creates the perfect backdrop for what promises to be an unforgettable basketball game.
