The NBA Finals are locked in: Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Indiana Pacers. Young blood, electrifying styles, and a whole lotta hype. Most folks are probably looking at MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder and thinking ‘champs in the making, easy.’ But hold up a sec. Because when NBA royalty, the one and only Magic Johnson, drops a hot take saying this series is gonna be way tighter and more thrilling than anyone expects? Yeah, you better believe the basketball world sits up and listens.

Magic, a five-time NBA champion and three-time MVP himself, took to X to share his thoughts on this upcoming Finals matchup, and he didn’t hold back.

The 65-year-old tweeted: “You have the NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and in my opinion, the MVP throughout the entire Western Conference Playoffs on one side. On the other side we have – Tyrese Haliburton, who in my opinion, was Eastern Conference MVP throughout the entire Playoffs. This will be an all-time great point guard matchup!” That’s some serious praise from one of the greatest point guards to ever lace up! He’s seeing something special in this SGA vs. Hali showdown, a clash of titans at the lead guard spot that he believes will be one for the ages.

But Magic didn’t stop there. He then explained why he thinks this series is going to be such a barnburner, and it’s not just about the star power at the point. He pointed to the incredible offensive firepower and surprising defensive grit of both squads.

In a follow-up tweet, Magic laid it out, full of excitement: “This NBA Championship Series is going to be exciting to watch, especially with Tyrese Haliburton and NBA league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both teams love to run and fast break, are excellent defensive teams, and are well coached!” Now that’s an interesting angle! We all know the Pacers love to get out and run – their PPG in the regular season was 117.4! And the Thunder? With SGA dropping an amazing 32.7 points per game in the regular season, they were right there with the offensive elites, finishing fourth on average points per game, 120.5. Both these squads are young, and they absolutely love to push it in transition. In the playoffs, both of these teams have been averaging a PPG of a little over 117 (shout out to FOX Sports for the stats).

And yeah, their styles might be a little different—the Pacers often look like they’re thriving in that beautiful, run-and-gun chaos, while the Thunder can really lock in and suffocate you in the halfcourt, not giving up an easy look anywhere. But Johnson’s hitting on something huge here: this series isn’t just going to be about who can score more. He sees two defensive teams that are also well-coached. And that, folks, is the recipe for a classic, down-to-the-wire, exciting series. Sounds like he’s ready for some fireworks, and honestly, so are we!

Paul George trades might have accidentally built both these finalists

Magic Johnson’s pumped for this Thunder-Pacers Finals, and who can blame him? But here’s a wild little wrinkle that makes this whole thing even crazier: both of these squads can pretty much trace their current awesome rosters back to trades involving one dude—Paul George!

Think about the Indiana Pacers. Paul George was their guy, right? They drafted him 10th overall back in 2010. He turned into a legit superstar, made four All-Star teams in Indy, and even dragged them to the Eastern Conference Finals a couple of times. He was everything for that franchise. But by 2017, things got a little shaky. PG only had a year left on his contract, and the whispers were getting loud that he wanted to play back home in Southern California.

So, the Pacers had to make a tough call. They traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. And what did they get back? A young Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo. Now, neither of those guys is on this Pacers team that’s in the Finals, but just wait, the plot thickens.

Oladipo actually balled out for the Pacers, made a couple of All-Star teams, and even won Most Improved Player. Sabonis? He turned into a walking triple-double in Indiana, another All-Star. But here’s where the PG trade tree really starts to branch out for Indy. Oladipo eventually got moved in that massive four-team James Harden deal, which brought Caris LeVert to the Pacers. And LeVert? He was later flipped for draft picks that became Ben Sheppard and Andrew Nembhard – two guys who are absolutely crucial role players for this current Pacers squad, with Nembhard looking like a defensive beast against Jalen Brunson in the ECF!

And Sabonis? Oh man, the Pacers hit the jackpot with that trade. They sent him to Sacramento, and the main piece coming back was a young, super-talented, but maybe slightly under-the-radar point guard named Tyrese Haliburton. Yep, that Tyrese Haliburton – the dude now leading the Pacers in the NBA Finals. So, the Paul George trade kicked off a whole chain reaction of smart moves and asset flips that eventually landed them their franchise cornerstone in Haliburton.

Now, let’s flip it over to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They got Paul George from the Pacers, and for a minute there, it looked like a dream pairing with Russell Westbrook. However, he was later shipped off to the Clippers to team up with Kawhi Leonard. And what did OKC get in return? Only one of the biggest trade hauls in NBA history: a young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, a mind-boggling five future first-round picks, and two first-round pick swaps!

So, there you have it. Two teams in the NBA Finals, both absolutely loaded with young talent, both playing an exciting brand of basketball. And both of them, in their own unique ways, owe a massive “thank you” (or maybe a “thanks for the assets!”) to trades involving Paul George. You just can’t make this stuff up!