Picture this: It’s the fourth quarter, the crowd’s a deafening wall of sound, and the underdog – the real underdog, the one nobody gave a snowball’s chance in July – is staring down Goliath. The tension isn’t just on the court; it’s crackling through Gainbridge Fieldhouse air like static before a lightning strike. This wasn’t just Game 4 of the NBA Finals; it felt like the opening kickoff of a grudge match years in the making. Enter Pat McAfee, Indiana’s adopted son, former Colts punter turned hype-man supreme, microphone in hand, staring down not only the Oklahoma City Thunder, but also a different kind of giant: ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
McAfee, channeling the energy of a coach giving a pre-game locker-room speech only louder and broadcast to millions, seized the moment. “Even though we’re up 2-1 in the series with home court advantage, coming into tonight’s game,” he roared, the Pacers faithful hanging on every word, “the Oklahoma City Thunder were favored to win the NBA title.” He continued, “Coming into tonight’s game, Oklahoma City was favored by 6 and a half points.” After a brief pause to let the boos brew, he resumed, “That makes us The Biggest Underdogs in the history of NBA Finals!”
The crowd erupted, a wave of blue and gold fury. Then came the jab, perfectly timed, like a safety blitzing the A-gap: “That tells me that the sportsbooks don’t know… Stephen A. Smith doesn’t know…” The boos that rained down weren’t just loud; they were a symphony of Hoosier defiance, directed squarely at Smith watching somewhere, likely with that signature raised eyebrow. McAfee finished strong, “Thunder will find out when you come to this state, not only are you playing the best team in the damn league, you’re also taking on the greatest fanbase in the history of sports.”
Former #Colts punter Pat McAfee calling out Stephen A. Smith on the mic as he hypes up the #Pacers crowd. Smith was booed very loudly. pic.twitter.com/IoSbmzVlyO
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 14, 2025
That strong finish, however, was something the Pacers couldn’t replicate, as OKC outscored them 31-17 in the fourth quarter to win 111-104 and level the series 2-2. Fan reactions online were instant gold: ‘and thas why they lost…’, ‘Well shucks’, ‘He can cross off Indiana’s electoral votes’, ‘This didn’t age well’, ‘Why he can’t keep SA name out his mouth’. McAfee, ever the showman, had turned the pre-game hype into a personal punt-return touchdown against his own network colleague.
Why the vitriol? Smith hadn’t exactly been sending the Pacers Valentine’s cards. His takes were pure, uncut sass: demanding, provocative, and designed to stir the pot. He’d been leaning hard on Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana’s maestro, urging him to “step up” in Game 3, where the Pacers eventually took a series lead.
When Haliburton brushed off media noise with a dismissive “couldn’t care less,” Smith fired back on First Take with the precision of a veteran QB reading a cover-zero blitz: “Just in case he was talking about me… players far more accomplished… have made their efforts trying to call me out. How has that worked out?” Oof.
Then, just before Game 4 tipped off, he dropped the prediction that became McAfee’s fuel: “If the Indiana Pacers win tonight, they are winning the championship. It’s just that simple.” Pacers fans, never ones to take perceived slights lightly, responded with legendary trolling – waving Smith face-cutouts adorned in garish orange-and-blue tuxedos throughout Gainbridge. It was less “Mean Joe Greene throws his jersey” and more “The Joker crashes the pep rally,” a beautifully chaotic middle finger executed with Midwestern flair.
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