Rick Carlisle and his Indiana Pacers have been the 2nd best team in the league since January 1st, and it was only fitting that they faced off against Mark Daigneault and his league-best Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The drive between the little upstate New York towns of Lisbon and Ogdensburg, by Rick Carlisle’s recollection, would take about eight minutes. In that part of the world, in the St. Lawrence valley just a few miles south of Canada, that’s like going next door.

Charles Barkley joked about the Knicks' coaching search strategy by making a direct reference to the Pacers' head coach Rick Carlisle.

Tyrese Haliburton credits Rick Carlisle as a 'basketball savant' who elevated his game as the Pacers lead the Thunder 2-1 in the NBA Finals.