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Jalen Williams Gets Honest About Thunder Before NBA Finals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By JH Kubicek | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 3:43 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, opponents in the NBA Finals, have a lot in common. On the court, both teams are deep, led by young guards, and have two of the best coaches in the NBA.

Off the court, it's hard to match the fans of either team. Oklahoma City boasts only one professional sports team, and while Indianapolis has the Colts, Indiana is the heart of America's basketball obsession.

As a result, fans at Paycom Center and Gainbridge Fieldhouse are loud, boisterous, and wear the matching t-shirts that are laid on their seats before each playoff game.

It's basketball in the purest sense.

Jalen Williams never played for a big-name college program, and he hooped at a public high school. He has only ever played in front of fans that were there to watch the game, not be watched by the media, seeing who was wearing what.

"I always compare it to like a small local high school football team being really good," he said. "That's how Oklahoma is, but it's with the whole state, everywhere we go, I've been met with love since I've been out here, and it's been it's been a really cool experience."

Between both Los Angeles teams and the New York Knicks, the NBA playoffs are often a place for celebrities to sit courtside and rub elbows, but the Pacers and Thunder offer "real" basketball and an authentic experience to go with it.

Game 1 will tipoff on Thursday in Oklahoma City, and it will be interesting to see which crowd is louder as each team gets a chance to host.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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