Tyrese Haliburton Reveals He Once Hated Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers have defied the odds to make it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2025. A whole host of individuals deserve credit for this run, but a big chunk of it goes to star guard Tyrese Haliburton and head coach Rick Carlisle.

If you're a fan of good, old-fashioned generational warfare, this is the NBA Finals for you. That's not due to the players—despite the Oklahoma City Thunder's youthful reputation, star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is actually a year older than Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Rick Carlisle scoffs at small market talk, says NBA Finals must celebrate Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers.

Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon, left, holds the trophy near head coach Rick Carlisle after the Pacers won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. Credit: AP/Michael Conroy

Rick Carlisle Responds to Backlash of NBA Finals' 'Small Market' Label originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The NBA Finals matchup has been set with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and the Indiana Pacers to determine the winner of the Larry O'Brien trophy.

The NBA Finals get underway tonight and the series will feature pair of coaches with local ties in Indiana's Rick Carlisle (Worcester Academy) and Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault (Leominster High).

The post Rick Carlisle ends ‘face of league’ debate with LeBron, Stephen Curry mic drop appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Walker is not an elite scorer, although he provides some extra defensive depth that the Pacers will sorely need against the Thunder. While Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin are capable of slowing down Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it was expected that Walker would be able to play a bigger role if needed.