TJ McConnell might not be the best player on his team, but he is surely one of the glue pieces that holds the Pacers together. Over the last six years, he has become a pivotal part of the roster, playing the role of an experienced and reliable backup point guard. He proved his worth yet again last night by putting up a historic performance off the bench to lead the Pacers to victory. And his teammate Tyrese Haliburton made sure to give TJ his flowers while also making a shocking revelation about the veteran leader.

Diving into his relationship with McConnell, Tyrese said during the postgame presser, “I think his energy is unbelievable. I think you guys know he’s definitely a crowd favorite. I joke with him. I call him the ‘Great White Hope.’ He does a great job of bringing energy in this building. And I think people feed off that.” Turns out, Hali has a cool nickname for TJ that fits perfectly to the impact he has had on the Pacers and the city of Indiana.

On several occasions, McConnell has been the ray of hope his team needs in tough situations. Even last night, he put up 10 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals, becoming the first player in NBA Finals history to put up that stat line off the bench. Further praising TJ’s performance, Tyrese said, “He had a couple unbelievable steals. In the series like this what’s so important is the margins. You gotta win in the margins. It’s not necessarily who can make the most shots or anything. It’s taking care of the ball, rebounding, little things like that. I thought he does a great job of just giving us energy plays consistently.”

What TJ might lack in skill, he makes up for with his constant hustle and effort. That’s what has helped him become such an important piece in a title contending team despite being an undrafted player. Moreover, he has been the perfect role model for Haliburton, as he remarked, “He’s been like a big brother to me since I’ve gotten here and you look at TJ McConnell, like his story is unbelievable. I just enjoy being able to play alongside him and the energy he gives his teammates and this building is a lot of fun.” Looking back on TJ’s NBA success, it might not have been possible without his tough childhood experiences.

ESPN announcer details TJ McConnell’s difficult childhood amid historic Game 3 performance

Last night, TJ’s effort off the bench proved to be the spark the Pacers needed to beat OKC. His defensive hustle had the Indiana crowd hyped. That’s the kind of championship mindset McConnell has had from the beginning of his career. Maybe, because he always had something to prove. Well, he was undrafted and eventually signed by a rebuilding Sixers squad ten years ago. Since then, he has worked hard to earn his spot in the league, eventually becoming a permanent backup guard for the Pacers.

As he dominated the game last night, ESPN announcer Mike Breen detailed TJ’s early life struggles that have led him to this point, “Back in Indianapolis, T.J. McConnell has sparked the 33-year-old backup point guard, undrafted 10th year in the league. Growing up in Pittsburgh, his dad was his high school coach. Says T.J., ‘He coached me as hard as you can coach anyone. It was frustrating, it was difficult.’”

Yes, the veteran guard was coached by his dad, which even led to them butting heads at times. But TJ realizes that he might not have reached this point in his career had it not been for his father’s tough love. “Nights at dinner, sometimes they weren’t speaking. Mom had to be the buffer. But now he realizes he’s not here without his dad. He’s so grateful for all his dad did for him.” Breen added. Now, the relationship he has built with Tyrese and the rest of his squad proves what TJ means to the Pacers and Indiana. Hopefully, it will culminate with a championship in his hands. Thoughts?