NBA Finals Season 2024-2025

A non-glitzy yet revolutionary NBA Finals

It’s hard to disagree—this year’s NBA Finals, featuring the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) and the Indiana Pacers, is not the matchup most expected when the season began. We didn’t get Giannis vs. LeBron, Steph vs. Tatum, or Jokić vs. Embiid. But if we strip away the noise, this isn’t just a potentially fantastic series in terms of basketball—it might mark a turning point for the league.

What stands out most about these two teams is how they were built from the ground up. Not through flashy trades or superstar free-agent signings, but through precise scouting, consistent player development, and patience from management and fans. OKC has become the ultimate example of a franchise identifying young talent, investing in it, and creating a winning culture. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren—a young, versatile, and exceptionally talented core that has transformed from a bottom-tier team into a Western Conference juggernaut in just three years. On the other hand, Indiana—stuck for the past decade in the eternal limbo of mediocrity—finally found its identity in Tyrese Haliburton, who has evolved into a brilliant, unselfish, and electrifying playmaker since arriving via trade from Sacramento.
The two stars of this series, Shai and Haliburton, both have underdog stories. Neither was drafted with the expectation of becoming a franchise cornerstone. Gilgeous-Alexander, drafted 11th in 2018, was traded away by the Clippers for Paul George but gradually developed into one of the league’s best clutch players. Haliburton, taken 12th in 2020, was initially seen as a “safe but unspectacular” pick, and when Sacramento traded him to Indiana, some viewed it as an acceptance of mediocrity. Today, not only is he a superstar—he’s the face of the franchise, with a pass-first style that feels almost retro, reminiscent of Jason Kidd in his prime.

Stylistically, these teams bring contrasting but refreshing approaches to basketball:
Indiana is the fastest-paced team in the playoffs—relentless fast breaks, early shot attempts, and constant movement. Their goal is not to dominate physically but to dizzy their opponents. It’s no surprise that they led the league in points per game last season (123.3), the sixth-highest mark in NBA history and the highest since the early 1980s.
Oklahoma City, on the other hand, plays with discipline, tough defense, and strategic game management. They don’t get drawn into a race—instead, they control the tempo and execute precisely when it matters most.

The clash between Indiana’s speedball attack and OKC’s calculated minimalism promises to deliver a series rich in nuances, proving that an NBA Finals doesn’t need a flashy superstar rivalry or decades-long bad blood to be thrilling.

Is This “Bad” for the League?

Let’s be honest—an NBA Finals featuring Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers isn’t exactly the most glamorous matchup. These are two of the smallest markets in the NBA (Indiana ranks 22nd, Oklahoma City 26th), with highly efficient but less flashy stars and no significant rivalry history.
Take, for example, the season’s game schedule. Out of 28 games attended over six trips, there wasn’t a single Pacers game, and the Thunder were only seen during the NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas. When planning trips, priority is given to the best teams, most exciting matchups, and biggest stars. Oklahoma and Indiana simply weren’t on that list—they don’t typically attract major crowds.

Will this dramatically change? Probably not. Even if one of these teams secures its first-ever championship (OKC has one title from its Seattle Supersonics era in 1979), it likely won’t shift league-wide popularity rankings.

Will this impact Finals viewership ratings? Absolutely—market size matters.

Will it hurt the quality of basketball in the Finals? Not at all—the exact opposite.

Every year on Christmas Day, the NBA schedules five marquee matchups featuring ten teams. Despite OKC having the best regular-season record and Indiana reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, neither played on Christmas. Indiana hasn’t had a Christmas Day game in 20 years. However, in a symbolic twist, they did face each other on December 26 in what turned out to be an instant classic—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped a career-high 45 points, leading OKC back from a 16-point deficit to a 120-114 victory, sealing the game with a clutch three in the final minute.

For the first time since 2007, we have an NBA Finals between two teams that did not play on Christmas that season. Looking back, the last time this happened was when ABC insisted on broadcasting only one Christmas game (Lakers vs. Heat, featuring the Kobe-Shaq rivalry). This reinforces the rarity of the current Finals matchup.

Bottom line: Viewership ratings will likely decline. But the more important question isn’t “How many people will watch?”—it’s “What story does this Finals tell about the NBA?”
And the answer? It’s a story of hope. A story of building the right way. Of teams proving that even small-market franchises without rich traditions can succeed through scouting, patience, and smart roster development.

This marks the first time in NBA history that we will see seven consecutive different champions:

Toronto (2019)
Lakers (2020)
Milwaukee (2021)
Golden State (2022)
Denver (2023)
Boston (2024)
Either OKC or Indiana (2025)

The common theme among these champions? Successful drafting and roster development.
Except for Toronto and the Lakers, who acquired Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James/Anthony Davis via trade, all other teams drafted their franchise stars: Giannis, Steph, Jokić, Tatum, and Brown. Even though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton weren’t originally drafted by their current teams, they were acquired in trades well before reaching stardom. Meanwhile, the rest of their rosters were built primarily through the draft—from Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams (OKC) to Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana).
Indiana’s last Finals appearance was in 2000 with Reggie Miller, where they lost to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.

Oklahoma City has never won a championship, though their franchise’s only title came in 1979 as the Seattle Supersonics. OKC has undergone many transformations—Durant-Westbrook-Harden era, collapses vs. Golden State, Durant’s departure, a full rebuild—yet here they are again, proving that sometimes tearing everything down is necessary to build something special.
From a basketball perspective, this could be a one-sided series, depending on how well OKC’s defense contains Indiana’s fast-paced attack and how physically durable Haliburton proves to be over a full series.

Based on what we’ve seen this season, though—this Finals is shaping up to be extremely compelling.