The 2025 NBA Finals begin Thursday with a surprising and exciting matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s more than just two teams facing off; it’s a battle of two different styles and two rising stars. Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each became the faces of their teams, helping lead impressive rebuilds with skill, patience, and confidence.
Both players got traded early in their careers, changing the paths of their franchises. Haliburton joined the Pacers in 2022 through a trade for Domantas Sabonis. Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Thunder in 2019 in the deal that sent Paul George to the Clippers. Now these two guards, picked 11th and 12th in their drafts, meet in the finals with a title and a chance to define their legacies.
Different Direction, Same Goal
Haliburton’s ability to run the floor and create plays changed how the Pacers play. “Finding a franchise-caliber point guard at age 21 is extremely difficult, ” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. That set the tone for the Pacers’ fast, smart basketball built on passing and movement. Haliburton led the Pacers to their first NBA finals in just three seasons in 25 years.
Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander‘s path is all about growth. He was taken 11th in 2018 and became one of the league’s top scorers and defenders. Thunder’s General Manager Presti believed in his potential early, saying that in 2019, “we must be patient with that process. But he’s got great tools, and he’ll have to follow the same track that many of these other players have, but we think he has a bright future.”. Now, Shai is an MVP finalist, leading a young, balanced team known for defense and versatility.
The finals are not about superstar pairings or big cities. It’s about building the right way. Haliburton and Shai represent what’s possible when teams invest in talent and trust the process. One of them will lift the trophy soon, but it will matter at the end who will rise in the clutch moments.
