No one expected the Indiana Pacers to reach the 2025 NBA Finals, but they already have a 1-0 lead over the OKC Thunder.
While there’s no doubt that the duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam is talented, it shocked fans that they led the Pacers to the finals.
Despite being doubted at every step of the way, the Pacers are currently ahead of the Thunder on the biggest stage in the league.
One key reason behind the team’s success is the presence of a veteran like Siakam, who already has the experience of winning the NBA Championship.
Siakam was part of the starting five for the 2019 Toronto Raptors, who went on to win the NBA Championship.
Keeping that in mind, Pacers’ Obi Toppin explained how the organization is taking advantage of it during the NBA Finals media availability.
“It’s been extremely important. He’s done it most recently with the Raptors, getting that ring. Every single day he’s always throwing us things that we should have in the back of our mind about how it’s going to go and what’s going to happen,” Toppin admitted.
“We are all like sponges and taking in everything they are saying and just getting better,” he added.
Toppin’s answers show how the current roster of the Pacers is as unselfish as it gets. There is no one superstar, but it’s not a problem for the Pacers as they have a ‘next man up’ mentality.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say Siakam’s fingerprints are all over this team, thanks to his previous championship experience.
It’s one thing to be a sponge and learn from Siakam’s experience as a leader, but it’s a completely different thing to love playing alongside him.
Fortunately, Toppin has found both things in Siakam as he stated: “It’s extremely fun playing with Pascal. But it’s extremely fun playing with everybody on this team.”
The 27-year-old concluded: “Everybody enjoys playing with each other and we love each other. As y’all can see, we have a lot of fun and enjoy playing this game. We’re just going to continue that.”
This unique brand of basketball has done wonders for the Pacers this season as they are just three wins away from winning their first-ever NBA Championship.
