Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomad
Yeah but both teams are super deep, young, and positioned to go far for a couple years or more... and now fans know the players. Just two years ago, Pacers had one nationally televised game. I'm sure OKC was something similar.
Much rather have this than veteran, free agent dominant Bucks, Nugs, or Celtics. At least you have a chance to build something fresh and marketable to a new generation. And eventually some of these players will be leaders on coast teams.
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But the Pacers aren't marketable (and Hali won't be playing for 16 months, and will probably be a step slower when he does), and have you seen the social media reaction to OKC? People are taking the bait on SGA and the rest of the squad being foul baiters and there is a lot of animosity towards them already.
And again... 1 year ago people were talking about a Celtics dynasty. That's done. Before that people were speculating on how the Nuggets would contend for more titles. They haven't made it back.
You need a real hero, or you need a real villain. LeBron, Curry, Brady, Mahomes... those guys were/are the most loved yet the most hated athletes on the planet, and it led to great eras of the sport. Few care about SGA. The Pacers will be the most forgotten Finals losers of this decade. The day after the NBA finals and the biggest story I see around the social media world is old Kevin Durant being traded to Houston, and that's just sad.