Almost immediately after the Indiana Pacers secured the 2025 Eastern Conference title by defeating the New York Knicks on Saturday night, jokes, memes, and concerns arose regarding the small-market nature of the upcoming NBA Finals between Indiana and the Oklahoma City Thunder, set to begin on June 5. Social media depicted NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as resembling Ron Burgundy, frustrated by the anticipated low ratings for the Pacers and Thunder, ranked 22nd and 47th, respectively, in market size, exclaiming, “I need to go to my quiet place!”
Could we call this series “Little Hoops on the Prairie”? Some headlines questioned whether anyone would watch, while others suggested the series was a nightmare for the league. Some fans have already deemed the 2025 finals a disaster, which is premature considering the games haven’t even started.
Indeed, according to ESPN, a comparable matchup of teams from outside the top-20 markets hasn’t occurred since the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks versus Baltimore Bullets final. Furthermore, this marks the first finals featuring two teams paying the luxury tax, a system introduced in 2002 that levies financial penalties on teams exceeding a designated spending limit.
Consequently, the small-market narrative will dominate discussions surrounding these finals. Be prepared to hear about it frequently.
However, should the population size of Indianapolis and Oklahoma City truly influence one’s decision to watch the games? To a viewer in Dallas, Dubuque, or even New York, “Indiana” and “Oklahoma City” should simply represent the teams on the jerseys, not detract from the NBA’s championship round.
Because if you disregard market size, this series offers plenty to appreciate.
Let’s begin with the Thunder. Oklahoma City quietly achieved one of the best regular seasons in basketball history. The Thunder recorded 68 regular-season wins; only 11 teams have matched or surpassed that win total in a season. With an average age of 25.6 years, Oklahoma City is the second-youngest team in 70 years to reach the finals, only surpassed by the champion 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers, led by Bill Walton, who were slightly younger (25.03 years).
OKC exemplifies effective team construction. The Thunder acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—the 2025 NBA MVP, known as SGA—from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019 for All-Star forward Paul George, following SGA’s rookie season. Oklahoma City also obtained five first-round draft choices in that transaction, one of which they used to select Jalen Williams, the versatile and dynamic player from Santa Clara, as the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Williams earned his first All-Star selection this year. Williams and Chet Holmgren, the 7-ft. 1-in. unicorn chosen second overall in that ‘22 draft, magnify SGA’s impact: defenses cannot solely focus on containing the elusive superstar. This young, talented trio (SGA is 26, Williams, 24, Holmgren, 23) projects long-term success. (The trio also participates in an ad campaign—where they unintentionally coordinate outfits for a glamorous event—that has been consistently featured throughout the playoffs.)
Thunder GM Sam Presti signed veteran center Isaiah Hartenstein this offseason to strengthen the frontcourt and traded for Alex Caruso, a highly regarded defender. These additions have seamlessly integrated into the Thunder’s cohesive unit: supporting players often surround the game’s star during postgame interviews, adding levity to the usually mundane proceedings.
The Pacers have similarly assembled their roster through astute use of assets. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, point guard Tyrese Haliburton arrived in Indiana via trade for an established All-Star after a promising start to his career. In a multiplayer deal during the 2022 season—Haliburton’s second NBA season—the Sacramento Kings sent Haliburton to Indiana in exchange for big man Domantas Sabonis. Haliburton topped the NBA in assists last season, earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, and acquired the necessary support to contend for a championship ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. Indiana traded three role players and draft picks to acquire Toronto Raptors All-Star Pascal Siakam, a champion in Toronto in 2019. At his peak, the lengthy and athletic Siakam, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP against the Knicks, evokes comparisons to a slightly smaller Kevin Garnett.
The Pacers traded for Aaron Nesmith, formerly of the Boston Celtics, following the 2022 season. Nesmith had a standout performance against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers drafted Myles Turner, their versatile big man, in 2015, and have accumulated a seemingly endless supply of role players—Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, T.J. McConnell, Thomas Bryant, and more—through shrewd draft selections, trades, and free-agent acquisitions. Indiana boasts a deep, athletic roster that emphasizes ball movement.
When Indiana is playing well, they are captivating to watch. The same goes for OKC.
Prepare to see more success from less glamorous teams like Indiana and OKC. Unlike the Miami Heat with LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the 2010s, the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant prior to their 2017 and 2018 titles, or the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis during their 2020 championship run, neither the Pacers nor the Thunder have acquired superstars via free agency. In fact, recent changes to the NBA’s collective-bargaining agreement make it more challenging for big-spending, big-market teams to stockpile free agents and complete trades.
The NBA will crown its seventh different champion in seven years this June. The league’s parity era is already here and is likely to continue.
Isn’t this preferable to what we see in baseball, where teams in major markets like New York and Los Angeles can simply spend exorbitant amounts of money to acquire superstars?
“I think it’s a new blueprint for the league, man,” Turner said following Indiana’s Game 6 victory over New York. “I think the years of the superteams and stacking, it’s not as effective as it once was. Since I’ve been in the league, this NBA is very trendy. It just shifts. But the new trend now is just kind of what we’re doing. OKC does the same thing. Young guys, get out and run, defend. And, you know, use the power of friendship is how they call it.”
A group of friends uniting to win a championship? The prospect of SGA and Haliburton competing head-to-head, reminiscent of Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant versus Allen Iverson, LeBron James versus Steph Curry, and other memorable finals matchups?
I’m in. Population size is irrelevant.
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