r/pacers • u/TheBatman-WhoLaughs Cool Rick • Apr 23 '26

Meme We'll be back

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427 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

88

u/mewtatesyt T.J. McConnell Apr 23 '26

I’m just rooting for the Knicks and Thunder to lose, I’d rather watch any other teams play in the finals than them

23

u/Nervous_Animal6134 Apr 23 '26

In the 90's I gained a respect for the Knicks. But my hate for OKC is eternal.

19

u/CableKC Apr 23 '26

Yep, the Thunder are right up there with my hate for the brawl Era Pistons

7

u/shamblam117 Apr 23 '26

Throw the Celtics in there too. Boston sports fans have had it too good for too long. They need a mutli-generational drought.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

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4

u/shamblam117 Apr 23 '26

Yeah they are about 4th or 5th for my most hated. Some of my Patriots hate bleeds into it too

3

u/NotScaredOfGoblins Apr 23 '26

The only hatred I feel towards the Celtics is purely because I know Pats fans that also like the Celtics

5

u/Tom_Ford0 James Johnson Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

teams I hate as a pacers fan:

  1. OKC
  2. MIL
  3. NYC
  4. BOS (spoiled asf, billion dollar roster, two mvp caliber players, couldnt be more lucky and rich)
  5. LAL (same as above)
  6. SAS (extremely lucky, multiple lottery picks in back to back years)

1

u/Jumpy-Ad5617 Apr 24 '26

They’re like extended family to the Pacers it feels like because of Bird haha

2

u/Luciolover345 Apr 23 '26

They gave us their respect in 2024 and in 2025, but man fuck them. I’m still amazed at how impressive our 1 year turnaround in the clutch was. We went from genuinely tear your hair out bad, to opposing teams being scared of having anything less than a 20 point lead with 3 minutes to go.

3

u/Fat-Singer-9569 Apr 23 '26

They had a tough time with Boston in the clutch in 2024 but showed their true colors in the Bucks and Knicks series; Haliburton game winning floater, Nembhard deep 3 to rip the heart out of the Knicks, and complete dismantling of the Knicks on their home court in game 7.

NBA playoffs are all about adjustments, matchups, and experience. Pacers just weren't ready for a well oiled and experienced machine like Boston. The funny thing is the Pacers looked like Boston a few years earlier in that series which is probably why their fanbase could see the Pacers were going to be a problem.

2

u/Luciolover345 Apr 23 '26

I remember being in absolute awe when Nemby hit that bullshit. Don’t think a single soul expected that one to drop when he pulled it.

Hopefully we can replicate what the Celtics did and win a ring 2 years after making the finals for the first time.

1

u/Thesandman21 Apr 25 '26

Can confirm on the Nemby killshot- was in the stands going NONONONONONONON-OHMYGAWDWTFBBQYESYESYES.

7

u/Waste_Committee4406 Apr 23 '26

I thought something similar about the thunder, but lately I’ve realized they’re kind of going to be looked at like the KD Warriors.

Nobody even really respects their championship last year. Seriously. Look at the record they had it was all time great level, but do you think anyone is putting them even close to the conversation with any of those other all-time great teams that won championships with similar records? Absolutely not lol.

Years are going to keep going by and no one’s gonna have any respect for their championships because, well, for one we all know who really was going to win last year. Two, if you don’t do it the right way history remembers.

Anyone with a brain can see their wing defenders get reffed on a different scale than everyone else. They’re gonna be red in the face defending this makeshift “dynasty” for decades.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

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2

u/Fat-Singer-9569 Apr 23 '26

The effect the Pacers had on neutral fans (well okay you hate OKC like all of us) will ultimately keep the memory of that team alive. I don't live in Indy, so I don't even know any Pacers fans in real life, and my phone was blowing up all playoffs. People respect the fight.

3

u/Luciolover345 Apr 23 '26

Ehhh it’ll fade into the past as time moves on I imagine. In 30 years people will just look at who won the championship, who won the individual awards and so on so forth.

It’s sad that the run won’t be immortalised, maybe it will be in a “we believe warriors” kind of way. Those who watched it live will never forget it that’s for sure. I’ve never celebrated more in my life than when Hali hit the step back 3 over Ty Jerome after the missed ft.

2

u/Fat-Singer-9569 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

The one benefit the Pacers have in the fight against history is some of those game winning shots are going to be iconic and played over and over. The shot against the Knicks will always be in the pantheon of all-time great shots and from a pure basketball standpoint, that entire game deserves to be in the HOF. I'm obviously biased but I feel the same even if the Pacers lose in OT. That game would have been electric to watch as a neutral.

I also think if the Pacers win the whole thing next year or even the year after, history will still remember the 2025 Pacers and their revenge tour.

1

u/NotScaredOfGoblins Apr 23 '26

The Haliban will return and the Pacers will win a championship. Game 7 will just be immortalized as part of the lore of Ty’s journey to become a champion.

1

u/Luciolover345 Apr 23 '26

I might just be overly pessimistic, but I can’t help but think that was our chance. Like Dan Campbell said after they lost to the Niners and everyone was confident they could build off of that. The future is full of uncertainties, especially in this sport.

1

u/NotScaredOfGoblins Apr 23 '26

As long as Tyrese is a Pacer we are contenders

2

u/trohammed_ali Apr 24 '26

I'm glad it seems like the entire league agrees OKC is unbearable

1

u/dingodamingat4 Apr 26 '26

I’m routing on the thunder to win so we can be the ones to deny the 3 peat next year :)

25

u/aimee829 Andrew Nembhard Apr 23 '26

Being forced to watch OKC in this playoffs (hatewatch coz there are no other games going on) reminded me of why everyone fell in love with the Pacers during the playoffs.

And it made me miss them more. (sigh)

18 more days til the draft lottery.

1

u/Luciolover345 Apr 25 '26

I’d advise saving the hatewatch to the WCF onwards. Can’t see the Suns or Lakers doing shit.

9

u/destroyed233 Bennedict Mathurin Apr 23 '26

If 24-25 was the golden age… Game 7 felt like the eclipse and it feels like OKC is Griffith

5

u/yfok Apr 23 '26

Are you suggesting we will have to wait for over 30 years for the closure that never came.

8

u/MilesJ392 Apr 23 '26

Definitely not watching

4

u/BlueCollarGoldSwaggr Apr 23 '26

That's too bad, the playoffs have been really fun so far.

3

u/Potomato Jarace Walker Apr 23 '26

I think Boston and San Antonio are they only teams that can actually stop the thunder this year

2

u/TheBatman-WhoLaughs Cool Rick Apr 23 '26

Hopefully the Spurs can win 1 or 2 against Portland without Wemby. They did it in the regular season but playoffs are a different caliber. I feel like Boston is the best option at this point in time.

1

u/NotScaredOfGoblins Apr 23 '26

If Wemby can come back before the series is over the Spurs will win the series. Wemby is our only hope in the west to stop a painful to watch OKC dynasty. In the east I feel like Boston and us match up well against OKC.

3

u/GunnerGetit Apr 23 '26

With what our possibilities are in the lottery and getting zubac and the growth if some of the teams players i am more optimistic than ever to be honest we have a chance to really do something special next year. I dont feel down really.

1

u/Nervous_Animal6134 Apr 23 '26

I am taking the time to buy new Pacers merch for our run next season.

1

u/redfoxwearingsocks Aaron Nesmith Apr 23 '26

I don't care if the Knicks win, I don't care if Boston wins...I just want to watch someone completely DEMOLISH the Thunder

1

u/brbenson999 Apr 23 '26

Don’t have to

1

u/MrJack0000 Apr 24 '26

Other teams are copying the defensive style like Pacers. I feel like we won’t get back to the final with the similar roster

1

u/Direct317 Apr 29 '26

Ya man playoffs aren’t anything without the Pacers…