Spanish
You may be interested in:Jassel Pérez debuts this Wednesday with the Titans of the South
The Pacers return to the Finals 25 years later. The Indiana team played in the 2000 Finals with Reggie Miller in their ranks and Larry Bird on the bench, but they were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal by 4-2.
“What happened 25 years ago… I wasn't even 6 months old. So, you know, I think this is a very special moment for our organization and for our fans,” said Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton after the qualification.
"There are many 'fans' who have never seen the team triumph, especially people my age, who are eager to experience it. So what we are doing is very special," he added.
For the Thunder, these are also their second Finals, after those played in 2012 with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook as their 'big three'.
The Thunder lost those finals 4-1 against the Miami Heat, who at that time had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
The 1979 Ring
Although the Thunder have never lifted the champion's trophy, the NBA officially recognizes the title won by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, as they are heirs to that franchise.
In 2008, the SuperSonics were transformed into the Thunder, but in Oklahoma City they founded a new identity that left behind the past in Seattle, which they don't quite feel as their own.
That's why the 1979 championship 'banner' doesn't hang in Oklahoma City's Paycom Center. In fact, that and thousands of other objects, such as the trophy, remain in Seattle, as part of the agreement that facilitated the team's move.
If Seattle ever gets an NBA team again - as rumors suggest - the agreement states that it can recover the colors, name, and history of the SuperSonics.
Small markets
That these Finals are unprecedented also means that Thunder and Pacers have never crossed paths in the playoffs. In fact, the two franchises only face each other twice a year during the regular season.
Therefore, the historical rivalry between them is almost non-existent, very different from that of a classic like Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers, who have a combined 35 rings, or the one experienced in the Eastern Finals between the Pacers themselves and the New York Knicks.
Furthermore, both Indianapolis and Oklahoma City are two of the smallest markets in the NBA, so these Finals are not only unprecedented, but also unexpected.
The audiences they will have are an unknown: the Western Finals, which pitted Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves against each other, registered 17% less audience than the previous year, according to Sports Media Watch.
Fate has wanted to cross in one of the most watched sporting events and that moves more money in the world to two humble markets, far from the great media spotlights.
According to Forbes, the Thunder are the 21st of 30 franchises in terms of valuation, with $3.65 billion, while the Pacers, with $3.6 billion, are in 22nd place.
