NBA Finals Set: Thunder and Pacers Make History in All-New Championship Clash

Image credit, JC Gellidon

For the first time in years, the NBA Finals will not feature a familiar dynasty or a repeat contender. Instead, two rising squads—the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers—are set to battle for the 2025 NBA title, marking a refreshing new era of basketball built on smart drafting, bold trades, and unshakable belief in young talent. This year’s Finals guarantees something the league hasn’t seen in a long time: a brand-new NBA Champion, making it the seventh unique champion in the past seven seasons, a rare and revitalizing streak in professional sports.

Leading the charge for the Thunder is Canadian-born All-Star MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose journey from an underutilized rookie with the Clippers to the franchise cornerstone in Oklahoma City is a lesson in patience, vision, and elite-level development. Acquired in the now highly questionable Paul George trade, Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into one of the league’s most dominant two-way guards, combining slick ball-handling with lockdown defense and clutch-time calm that belies his age.

The Thunder’s front office deserves immense credit. They doubled down on the draft after Shai’s arrival, building a core that includes Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick who missed his first season due to injury but has returned to prove he’s every bit the unicorn scouts believed he could be. Then there’s the hyper-athletic, high-IQ tandem of Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams—both versatile, defensive-minded forwards who fit perfectly into head coach Mark Daigneault’s high-motor system. And the unsung hero? Isaiah Hartenstein, the journeyman center who found his true form anchoring OKC’s interior defense after bouncing around the league. What many teams overlooked, Oklahoma City turned into gold.

On the other side, the Indiana Pacers have scripted their own remarkable ascent. They were once tethered to a promising but inconsistent backcourt experiment with De’Aaron Fox. But trading him to secure Tyrese Haliburton—one of the savviest, most efficient young playmakers in the game—turned out to be a franchise-altering decision. Haliburton’s court vision, tempo control, and elite passing have been the lifeblood of Indiana’s offensive resurgence.

But the Pacers didn’t stop there. They built around Haliburton with a tough-nosed, athletic roster led by veteran shot-blocker Myles Turner, who has finally shed the “potential” label and become a defensive cornerstone. The front office made key additions over the last two seasons, bringing in young wings and defensive specialists who’ve turned the Pacers into a tenacious perimeter force. Credit also goes to a coaching overhaul that brought in a system emphasizing transition play, three-point shooting, and switching schemes—elements that have become Indiana’s trademark under pressure.

This Finals isn’t just a showcase of youthful brilliance—it’s a warning to complacent franchises. The Clippers let Shai go. The Kings let Haliburton go. The Raptors traded Pascal Siakam.
The Knicks let Hartenstein walk. And now those same players are headlining the biggest stage in basketball.

For the NBA, this is a win on all fronts. Fans get to see fresh faces, new rivalries, and the dawning of what could be a power shift in the league. No LeBron. No Curry. No Giannis. No Jokic. Just a new generation of stars—Shai, Haliburton, Holmgren, Turner, Williams, Hartenstein—all hungry for their first ring and ready to show the world they belong.

This isn’t just a passing-of-the-torch moment. It’s a full-on torch theft.

The NBA Finals begin this week, and for once, there’s no script, no legacy to protect—only two teams determined to make history. And that, more than anything, is great for the league.