Game 6 of the Knicks vs Pacers isn’t over yet, and somehow Thomas Bryant is already turning heads, and not just in Indiana. The Lakers community on Twitter is buzzing, and, well, “bothered” might be the polite way to put it. Bryant, who once wore the purple and gold, has suddenly found a new groove with the Pacers that no one quite saw coming. By the third quarter, he had already scored 9 points and grabbed a rebound, showing glimpses of the impact he’d have on the game.

It’s not just about the numbers—it’s about the timing. Thomas Bryant, averaging just 10.6 points and 6.5 rebounds during his time with the Lakers in the 2022-23 season, has shown a sharper edge in Indiana. With the Pacers, his role may still be whirling, but his confidence has ballooned. More importantly, his shot selection has transformed. So much so that one fan posted, “Thomas Bryant couldn’t even hit a jump hook on the Lakers and now he’s a dead eye 3 point specialist.” And that wasn’t an exaggeration, Bryant was confidently letting it fly from deep.

Bryant’s journey to Indiana wasn’t exactly a straight line. The Lakers traded him to the Denver Nuggets at the 2023 trade deadline after he reportedly grew frustrated with his diminished role once Anthony Davis returned from injury. From there, he signed with the Miami Heat in free agency—only to be traded again, landing with the Pacers in December 2024. It was a quiet arrival, far from headline-worthy at the time. But now? Bryant’s postseason spark is making all those pit stops suddenly feel like the perfect setup.

Lakers fans react to Thomas Bryant’s long-lost glow-up

Fans who once dismissed his game during his Lakers tenure are now eating their words and serving up some fresh takes. It started with a slow murmur, then the disbelief caught fire. As Bryant knocked down shots in Game 6, Lakers Twitter began unraveling. Was this the same Thomas Bryant who couldn’t stick in L.A.? The same man who averaged fewer than 15 points and struggled with consistency?

One fan broke the silence with a familiar plea: “Why Thomas Bryant ain’t do none of this for LeBron when he was on the Lakers 🙄😭😭.” The tone was joking, but the frustration was real. Bryant looked unrecognizable—more poised, more fluid, more dangerous. That’s when the introspection started to seep in.

Another fan confessed what many were thinking: “Btw I apologize to Thomas Bryant for saying he sucks. To be fair he wasn’t good when he was in Washington or the Lakers but this performance on the Pacers is the best I’ve ever seen him play.” That post wasn’t just self-aware—it was trending. Bryant, somehow, had become the unexpected protagonist in the Lakers’ group chat. Once known for limited shooting, Bryant is now knocking down threes like a dead-eye marksman, leaving Lakers fans wondering when – or if – that version of him ever existed in LA.

And the regret didn’t stop there. A tweet rang out with old-school clarity: “Lakers should’ve held on to Thomas Bryant in 2023 man.” It’s the kind of hindsight that hits differently when your former backup center is torching a playoff defense in front of the national spotlight. Still, not everyone bought the glow-up narrative without a pinch of suspicion. “Thomas Bryant wasn’t doing this shit with the Lakers so I tend to agree with the consensus tonight. This shit rigged lmaoo,” one fan joked, echoing the absurdity that seemed to unite confused Lakers fans everywhere.

Game 6 has become more than a playoff battleground—it’s a social media reckoning. What Bryant is doing in Indiana might not rewrite his entire NBA story, but it’s forcing the Lakers community to revisit a chapter they thought was closed. If nothing else, Bryant is making sure L.A. can’t look away from this plot twist.