The NBA Finals are supposed to be a warzone, right? Every possession is a dogfight, every matchup a personal battle. And right now, in Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder are absolutely bringing the heat. They took a commanding 57-45 lead over the Indiana Pacers into halftime. But while the on-court action is as intense as expected, a moment happened just before the game. And that was the complete opposite – a surprisingly cool, wholesome picture of unity that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton.

Just ahead of Game 1, Vaughan Alexander, dad of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and John Haliburton, Hali’s dad, actually linked up and posed for a picture together. How cool is that? They just shared a quiet moment of mutual respect and incredible pride. It was just a simple, wholesome photo, but it spoke volumes.

And let’s be real, both of these dads have been front and center, passionately supporting their sons throughout this entire playoff run. We all saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s dad, Vaughan, on the court after the Thunder won the Western Conference Finals. He was so proud, he was holding Shai’s WCF MVP trophy a little too comfortably, prompting a laughing SGA to call him out, “You acting like it’s yours!” Vaughan then playfully pretended to pocket the trophy.

Then you’ve got John Haliburton, who Tyrese has called his “biggest fan my whole life.” John’s journey to the Finals has been a rollercoaster in itself. Remember earlier in the playoffs, after that on-court confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first round, the NBA actually barred him from attending games for a while? Tyrese himself said his dad “was wrong” but that the commentary got “a little ridiculous,” adding, “I don’t think any of us want to be defined by our worst moments… Love my pops dearly.” Now, after all that drama, they permitted John to attend the finals.

That’s got to feel incredibly special for their whole family. Tyrese has talked about how his dad, who used to work third shift, would make time to watch SportsCenter with him every morning, and how he always told Tyrese, “I’m the best, I’m going to be a an all-star.” While the dads were sharing a wholesome moment off the court, their sons were having very different experiences on the court in the first half of Game 1.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came out uber aggressive, looking every bit the MVP and dropping a game-high 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting to lead his Thunder to that 12-point halftime lead. Tyrese Haliburton, on the other hand, had a much quieter first half. That suffocating OKC defense, which was the story of the half with 11 steals, clearly had him rattled. The OKC defense held the Pacers’ star to just six points on 2-of-5 shooting, three assists, and three turnovers. The contrasting performances of the two stars tell a compelling story. And their fathers undoubtedly share their sons’ emotions. This Finals matchup is even more captivating because of their intertwined paths.

It’s all relative – Wild story connecting Haliburton and Shai

The NBA finals this time around have a piece of insane trivia attached to it. If you really think about it, It’s almost like a basketball prophecy, how this all lined up. Danny Chau over at The Ringer pointed out the crazy connection: the massive 2019 trade that sent Paul George from OKC to the Clippers? That deal landed the Thunder their savior in SGA and a boatload of picks to build this potential dynasty. Then, nearly three years later, the Pacers got their franchise guy, Tyrese Haliburton, by trading away Domantas Sabonis – who, get this, was a centerpiece in the original trade that brought Paul George from Indiana to OKC back in 2017! Isn’t that absolutely insane?

And the symmetry doesn’t stop with PG. Both the Thunder and the Pacers are here because their front offices channeled some serious faith. And they are betting big on 21-year-old guards who weren’t exactly a no-brainer. SGA was drafted 11th, Haliburton went 12th. And now? It’s hard to imagine the league without them.

Think about what OKC GM Sam Presti said about SGA way back in 2019: “I think where Shai is today is not close to where ultimately he’s going to be. But we have to be really patient with that process.” That patience? It paid off in an MVP. Coach Mark Daigneault even admitted that during an OKC minicamp before the bubble, he saw SGA had “another gear… that maybe we haven’t seen,” and that “the only person that can honestly say that they saw him being this good was Shai.”

Then you’ve got Haliburton. When the Pacers got him in 2022, Coach Rick Carlisle immediately knew they had something special. “It’s an exciting trade and it changes the landscape significantly,” Carlisle said. “Finding a franchise-caliber point guard at age 21 is extremely difficult to do. Carlisle even said after the ECF Game 6 win, “Getting Tyrese made it very clear what our identity as a team needed to be… The [Pascal] Siakam trade took things to another level.” It’s like both these teams found their guiding principles in these young, unorthodox stars, and everything just clicked into place.

As these two franchises chase their first NBA championship, it’s about more than just one series. Don’t forget, both have their histories of Suffering. OKC’s 73-point loss a few seasons ago, the Pacers’ decades-long title drought since their ABA days.

The 2025 NBA Finals are an example of what happens when teams dare to be different. When they bet on unlikely talents, they trust the process. For the seventh straight year, we’re getting a new NBA champion. What a time to be a basketball fan.