Pacers guard T.J. McConnell rejects criticism that the 2025 NBA Finals were “boring”

Despite delivering a gripping seven-game series and showcasing high-level basketball throughout, the 2025 NBA Finals between the underdog Indiana Pacers and the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder faced criticism for its lackluster presentation and underwhelming marketing. Game 1 notably omitted player introductions and the national anthem, giving the broadcast an insipid quality that failed to distinguish it from a typical regular-season game. Additionally, the absence of iconic Finals branding—such as the Larry O’Brien Trophy or the Finals logo at center court—further diminished the event’s sense of grandeur. The series was also labeled by some as “boring,” and it averaged just 10.27 million viewers, making it the least-watched non-COVID Finals since 2007.

But for those who were part of the series, the experience told a very different story. Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell believes that the criticism of the 2025 NBA Finals is unfounded.

“It is disappointing when you see people say that it was a boring finals. It was the first game 7 of an NBA Finals since 2016,” McConnell said on a recent episode of The Christian Kuntz podcast.

While the Pacers and Thunder being smaller-market teams likely contributed to lower ratings and indifference from fans outside their hometowns, McConnell believes the level of basketball on display was high enough for true fans of the game to appreciate.

“It’s two small market teams that have never been there. So it’s not like it’s the same teams every year. I just thought it was the purest form of basketball being played. Playing in it, I felt it. And I feel like, real basketball fans enjoyed the finals this year,” McConnell added.

Although low viewership for the 2025 NBA Finals was somewhat expected and Games 1 to 6 averaged between 8.5 and 9.5 million viewers, the numbers did increase to 16.4 million viewers for Game 7, an impressive feat which made it the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years (Tyrese Haliburton—they proved that a cohesive, well-coached, and high basketball IQ team can make a deep playoff run and even reach the Finals.

McConnell believes that almost winning the 2025 NBA Finals after making it deep in the playoffs the previous year should dispel the notion that the Pacers fluked their way into the playoffs.

“Last year, everyone said it was a fluke run to the Eastern Conference finals. Great. You can say that, but you don’t catch the lightning in the bottle twice and then go all the way to the Finals,” McConnell explained. “I just think we’re a really good team and we’re really well coached. I think the fans don’t see the whole team aspect; they want to see superstars.”

What do you think of the fact that T.J. McConnell rejects criticism that the 2025 NBA Finals were “boring”? Do you agree with him that the Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder were exciting, particularly because of the high level of basketball being played? Let us know in the comments.