Pacers Role Player Emerging as 'Cult-Like Hero,' Says Insider

Indiana Pacers fans love when they have players who play very hard out on the court on a night-to-night basis. They love supporting teams that they can get behind.

The 2025 team is a team that fans will remember forever. The Pacers were able to make the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. Although they fell short, they still captured the city's imagination.

One of the fan favorites on the team is T.J. McConnell. He is the epitome of the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana, and fans love him perhaps more than any other player.

Pacers fans love T.J. McConnell

McConnell is someone who plays his hardest every time he steps on the court. In fact, he's so good that one Pacers insider has decided to call him a "cult-like hero".

Jordan Morey of NBA.com described how Pacers fans feel about what McConnell has been able to do over the course of his career in Indiana.

“The fiery, always hustling point guard has become such a cult-like hero in Indiana he has his own verb named after him, and McConnell’s relentless energy and effort continue to change the trajectory of a game in seconds more than a decade into his NBA career.”

McConnell is someone who will never leave the court without leaving it all out there. He was able to singlehandedly change the course of the NBA Finals, especially in Game 3.

The Pacers will need McConnell to be even better in 2025-26

McConnell is going to have to be even better next year if the Pacers are going to have any shot of making a deep run in the playoffs next season. As a backup point guard, he might have to play 25-plus minutes.

With Tyrese Haliburton being out all of next season, McConnell is going to be the best playmaker that they have on the team. He is going to have to play at the fast pace that he normally does.

Last season, McConnell averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He shot 51.9 percent form the field and 30.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.