THE CORE THEME of this NBA Finals matchup might very well be summarized by two insightful yet straightforward quotes delivered this week.
The first comes from Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner. Known within the NBA for his passion for Lego – a hobby sometimes used by opponents for playful jabs – Turner views the construction process, brick by brick, as a form of art, seeing himself as something of an artist.
Just as there are extensive philosophical discussions around basketball, so too are there analyses of Lego. Turner is a keen student of both and a thoughtful individual; he originally intended to study psychology had he not left the University of Texas after his freshman year for the 2015 NBA draft.
Thus, his words weren`t delivered lightly when he offered what might be the most defining and comprehensive statement about this NBA season – and perhaps the upcoming NBA Finals between his Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was simultaneously profound and simple, deep and playful, much like his beloved Legos.
He explained why these two teams – one considered a long shot, the other a dominant force throughout the season – have reached this stage. According to Turner, their success boils down to their ability to `use the power of friendship,` fostering strong chemistry both on and off the court.
Then there`s a quote from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), perhaps connecting to a similar experience as Michael Jordan. SGA, like Jordan, was `cut` from his junior varsity team as a ninth grader in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. More precisely, he only made the freshman team, which he then led to a city championship.
It`s fair to say Gilgeous-Alexander`s high school basketball journey took a significant turn for the better, leading him eventually to the University of Kentucky. This week, he reflected on a crucial lesson learned during those high school years, one that became a defining trait: the power of calm.
`I used to be a kid that got mad and threw the ball around the court over a pickup game,` he said. `My coaches taught me the older you get, the less you get away with things like that.`
`To be the guy I want to be, I can`t behave like that because it will translate to the rest of my team. That lesson always stuck with me. I still have [that fire], I still feel it. I just understand not to let it show, and it kind of weaponized it for myself. Showing [your emotion] gives your opponent a weapon as well.`
THE 2025 NBA FINALS: The power of friendship and the weaponization of calm.
This could easily be the title of a book published next spring. It encapsulates the narrative of these two small-market franchises built gradually, intentionally, and without much fanfare, akin to assembling the intricate 9,000-piece Lego Titanic replica cherished by Turner. Only one player in the Finals was a top-three draft pick – Thunder big man Chet Holmgren – and he hasn`t even made an All-Star team… yet.
`I think it`s a new blueprint for the league,` Turner commented after the Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
`I think the years of the superteams and stacking, it`s just not as effective as it once was. … 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 use the power of friendship.`
It`s a catchy concept with considerable merit.
Earlier this season, Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen described his team`s play as `ethical basketball.` Allen characterized his 64-win Cavs, featuring three All-Stars, deep rotation, high passing, and balanced offense, as `Farm-raised, non-GMO, organic, free-range, ethical basketball.`
The Cavaliers` team-first, `ethical` approach received widespread praise, with Kenny Atkinson earning Coach of the Year honors in his first season in Cleveland. However, their style was ultimately surpassed in the Eastern Conference semifinals by a team embodying that ethic even more effectively: the Indiana Pacers, a true circle-of-friends squad.
The Knicks, who advanced further than the Cavs, have their own well-established brand built on internal friendships, highlighted by podcasts, commercials, and long histories involving players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges, dating back to their Villanova days. Team President Leon Rose, a former agent, hired longtime friends and clients Tom Thibodeau and Rick Brunson as coaches and prioritized bringing in former clients Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, both All-NBA selections this season, as key players. The Knicks enjoyed their most successful back-to-back seasons in 25 years, further supporting Turner`s hypothesis.
`The whole is better than the sum of the parts with the Pacers, which I think is the sign of a good team,` remarked Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. `They play the same way in January as they do in May. They play the same way up 20 as they do down 20. They`ve got unbelievable integrity to the way that they do things.`
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE, EMOTION-FREE play, integrity: These aren`t typically the core tenets that define teams reaching the NBA Finals – much less winning them.
`When people see this` – Michael Jordan famously said about his personal drive during `The Last Dance` – `they`re going to say, `Well, he wasn`t really a nice guy. He was a tyrant.` Well, that`s you because you never won anything.`
`It`s who I am, it`s how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don`t want to play that way, don`t play that way.`
The Pacers do exhibit some edge. Their star, Tyrese Haliburton, is becoming one of the league`s more notable provocateurs. Some players, including Haliburton, arrived at Game 6 against the Knicks dressed in funeral black for the elimination scenario. Haliburton even engaged with Knicks superfan Ben Stiller on X after clinching the series.
Nevertheless, despite the taunts and responses, this edginess doesn`t define their style of play. They may perform with deadly effectiveness in the clutch and play with fearless abandon, but Turner`s description of the squad`s essence is accurate.
The Thunder, for their part, have cultivated their own distinct culture, also rooted in similar ideals. One of their notable traditions, often initiated by SGA, is conducting postgame on-court interviews as a unified group.
Earlier this season, Daigneault stated that when faced with a choice between following their better or worse impulses – metaphorically, the `angel and devil on your shoulder` – the Thunder `go with the angel.`
For the most part, they follow the example set by their MVP, who remains committed to managing his emotions and supporting his teammates.
`We`ve been as close as you can be as a basketball team, guys are connected at the hip everywhere we go,` Gilgeous-Alexander shared. `We do everything together on and off the court. Above all we prioritize winning and enjoy each other`s company. I think it`s organically happened that way.`
`Organic` can certainly be added to the list of buzzwords for this series. Interestingly, during his year at Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander focused his studies on agriculture. So, the 2025 NBA Finals: Lego, farms, and friendship. Just another potential theme for a future documentary.
If nothing else, this championship series provides a refreshing change of pace in the NBA landscape. These teams operate and feel subtly different from recent champions of this era, where narratives of overcoming critics and hardship often defined teams like the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.
The intensity and mastery on the court are just as high, but the personalities involved feel distinct. And those participating are fully aware of this difference.
`It`s something you don`t take for granted,` Gilgeous-Alexander concluded. `You never know how many times you get to play for a team like this.`