The NBA Finals are here, and it’s a showdown for the ages: Tyrese Haliburton’s lightning-fast Indiana Pacers are set to clash with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ridiculously talented Oklahoma City Thunder. We’re all hyped for the on-court fireworks, right? But what if I told you there’s this incredible, almost unbelievable backstory connecting the two masterminds who built these Finals teams? We’re talking about Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and the Thunder’s genius architect, Sam Presti.

It’s the kind of story that makes you love the interconnectedness of the NBA. Rick Carlisle, now leading the Pacers, was recently reflecting on the journey to this Finals matchup. He started by giving major props to OKC, saying, “I have such great respect for what Oklahoma is building here. I know Mark Daigneault pretty well, and Sam Presti and I go way back.” And “way back” is no exaggeration.

Carlisle then took everyone on a little trip down memory lane, back to the fall of 2000. He was taking a year off from coaching, doing some broadcasting, and got invited to the San Antonio Spurs’ training camp. And who was there, just starting out, an intern trying to make his way? A young Sam Presti. Carlisle, a Boston guy, noted that Presti, also from the Boston area, was a die-hard Celtics fan. “He actually remembered when I played, which shocked me because he seemed way too young for that,“ Carlisle recalled with a laugh.

During that training camp, the veteran coach and the eager intern ended up having a couple of dinners together. Presti, hungry for guidance, picked Carlisle’s brain. Carlisle said Presti asked him, “What can I do to get a job out of this?” And the advice Carlisle gave him? It was simple, direct, and incredibly powerful: “Become a guy they can’t live without.”

Talk about a piece of advice that landed because what Presti has built in Oklahoma City is nothing short of remarkable, often through those shrewd, “can’t live without him” kind of moves Carlisle was talking about. Think back to the summer of 2007. Steve Kerr, then the new GM of the Phoenix Suns, needed to shed salary to get under the luxury tax. The only team in the league that could absorb Kurt Thomas’s contract was the Seattle SuperSonics, who had just hired a 30-year-old Sam Presti as their GM. Kerr, who knew Presti from their Spurs days, said Presti “knew exactly what he was doing.”

To get that deal done, Kerr had to give up two unprotected first-round picks. One of those picks, in 2008, turned into Serge Ibaka. That single move, Presti leveraging his cap space and Kerr’s necessity, set off a domino effect that, through a series of brilliant trades (Ibaka for Oladipo and Sabonis, then that package for Paul George, then George for SGA and a war chest of picks), ultimately led to the Thunder team we see today.

Small markets, big hearts: Why this Thunder-Pacers finals is a win for real hoops towns

That incredible backstory between Rick Carlisle and Sam Presti just adds another layer of “wow” to this NBA Finals. But beyond the personal connections and the on-court strategies, there’s another cool narrative bubbling up around this Thunder-Pacers championship series: this is a “small-market NBA Finals.” And while some folks in the media might be wringing their hands about TV ratings (OKC is the 47th-largest TV market, Indy is 25th – not exactly LA or New York), the players and coaches in Oklahoma City and Indianapolis? They’re actually pretty stoked about it, and they’re ready to show the world what makes their “small hometowns” so special.

Forget the hand-wringing about ratings for a second. What you’re hearing from inside both camps is a real appreciation for the unique bond they have with their fans, a connection that maybe gets lost in the bigger, more cynical cities. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault put it perfectly: “To be in a market where everybody is rooting for you, everybody is supporting you, everybody is encouraging you, and you feel that at the games and in the community, I honestly think that has an impact on our player development.”

Jalen Williams, OKC’s rising All-Star, echoed that sentiment. He grew up in a Phoenix suburb, so he gets the “small town” vibe. He remembers fans gathering outside his hotel when he first flew to OKC after the draft, and that welcoming feeling hasn’t stopped. “I always compare it to, like, a small local high school football team being really good, and the city around them kind of gathers around them,” Williams said. “That’s how Oklahoma is. But it’s (like) that with the whole state. Everywhere we go, I’ve been met with love since I’ve been out here. It’s a really cool experience.”

And over in Indianapolis? It’s the same story. After the Pacers clinched the East, Coach Carlisle grabbed the mic during the trophy presentation and, to a delirious home crowd, declared: “In 49 other states, it’s just basketball. But this is Indiana.” The place went nuts! The celebration downtown sounded like a massive high school homecoming, with horns honking and fans chanting for their heroes.

Tyrese Haliburton, who grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and played college ball in Ames, Iowa (both around 66,000 people), totally gets it. He knows Indy isn’t LA or Miami, and he loves it. “I know people say it’s a small market,” Haliburton said. “I really like the hometown, small-town feel from our fans. I think OKC can relate to that, as well… That’s why I enjoy being a part of it, why I want to be a part of it for the rest of my career.” That’s a franchise player committing to his city, not because of the glitz, but because of the genuine connection.

Rick Carlisle also summed it up perfectly: “As far as the markets, I understand that there would be concern for how many people would watch because they’re smaller markets. But if we’re celebrating the game and we’re putting game above all… then it really shouldn’t matter.” 

And he’s right. This Finals might not have the coastal glamour, but it’s got two incredibly talented teams led by electrifying young stars, playing in cities that absolutely adore them. That’s what pure basketball is all about.