It’s a great time to be a basketball fan in Indiana right now. Look to the NBA and you’ll see Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers on their way to the NBA Finals. And if you’re a fan of Women’s basketball, look no further than the Indiana Fever having an MVP-caliber superstar among their ranks in Caitlin Clark. And there’s plenty of crossover between these giants of Indiana sports. You can see them at each other’s games, clicking pictures, and showing support for their counterparts. And according to Paul George, this is all a part of Indiana’s basketball heritage.

On Podcast P with Paul George, the former Pacers star was talking to his co-host about basketball in Indiana. And the latter believed that the above-mentioned relationship between the Pacers and Fever stars is redefining basketball in Indiana. However, PG13 thinks they’re continuing to tread on the path paved by the legends who came before them. And their relationship isn’t really changing anything. Instead, it’s carrying on the legacy a WNBA legend left behind.

 “You know, we used to support Tamika Catchings. Tamika Catchings is a Hall of Famer, one of the best forwards to ever play the game. And we used to go support there. We would buy tickets to fill their playoff games out, you know. We would, you know, we would go to the games and vice versa. So I think it’s just different in Indiana, bro. It’s different, it’s a space that, for one, the city loves the game of basketball,” said George on his podcast.

From what George is saying, it does seem as if Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton aren’t really treading any new ground. After all, the Indiana Pacers and Fever were definitely surging when Catchings and George were at their respective peaks. And them and their fans showing support for each other only means one thing. Indiana is, was, and always will be a basketball state.

However, even if Paul is right about Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton’s relationship not being something unseen, they do have a unique opportunity. You see, both Tyrese and Caitlin are the biggest superstars Indiana has seen in a while. And as Hali approaches the NBA Finals, he and the Pacers can do something no one else has done.

Tyrese Haliburton and Caitlin Clark can do what Paul George and Tamika Catchings never could

Indiana has seen some great basketball players over the years. Reggie Miller, Danny Granger, Paul George, Kelsey Mitchell, and Tamika Catchings are some of the greatest players to hoop for an Indiana team. But one thing these legends could never do was bring both the NBA and WNBA championships to Indiana.

The closest we’ve ever come to seeing this was back in 2012. The Fever, with Tamika Catchings at the forefront, beat the Minnesota Lynx in 4 games to take home the WNBA title. And after making the Conference Finals, things looked good for the Pacers, too. However, facing LeBron James at the peak of his powers alongside DWade proved too much for Paul George and company as they lost in 7 games,

But now, with Tyrese Haliburton potentially one game from the NBA Finals, he can right the wrongs of the past. If he and the Pacers go all the way and bring the Pacers their first NBA title ever, well, the hardest part will be over. He will have written history while putting the ball in Caitlin Clark’s court. And if she can emulate Tamika Catchings and win the WNBA crown this year…

These two will go down as legends, not just in Indiana, but across the world! And for years to come, fans will talk of the time that Tyrese Haliburton and Caitlin Clark completed basketball for the state of Indiana.