BASKETBALL bosses have finally caved and fans are claiming victory after years of moaning.
After more than a decade of complaints, ABC Sports is brought back a long-lost piece of NBA Finals magic, the starting lineup intros.
For the first time since 2013, viewers saw the full team introductions live on air ahead of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
The change comes after weeks of backlash aimed at the Finals’ presentation, with fans blasting ABC and ESPN’s coverage for lacking the glitz, glamour and gravitas of other major sports championships like the Super Bowl or World Series.
Critics even said the Finals looked like just another regular-season game with no on-court trophy, no pageantry, and barely any hype.
And while NBA commissioner Adam Silver brushed off the noise at first, it seems the outcry finally struck a chord.
A last-minute attempt to class things up saw a Larry O’Brien Trophy decal slapped on the court in Game 2 — but fans weren’t impressed, slamming it as “blurry”, “low-res” and “laughable”.
Now, though, ABC is giving viewers what they’ve been asking for, proper intros, big lights, and the kind of drama that finals nights deserve.
NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news on X, saying: “ABC is airing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers starting lineup introductions ahead of Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight… the first time since 2013.”
A delighted fan said on X: “This is proof that we as a Twitter [X] society can bully even major networks into doing what we want”
Then another said: “This is one step closer to bring back the aura.”
While this fan just wanted to emphasize the importance of collective voicing an issue on social media: “Are we basically saying now that NBA Twitter has the power to change NBA games? First trophies on the court, now this lol.”
Fans of a certain age still remember the goosebumps from the Bulls intros during the Michael Jordan era.
The thumping music,the roar of the crowd and the unmistakable sense that something big was happening.
Something big did happen during Game 5 of the Finals too.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took their first lead in the series against the Indiana Pacers.
After being hyped up with player introductions before the game, the Thunder easily took care of the Pacers 120-109.
2025 NBA Finals schedule
All NBA Finals games are broadcasting on ABC
Game 1: Pacers at Thunder (Thu. June 5, 8:30pm ET) Game 2: Pacers at Thunder (Sun. June 8, 8:00pm ET) Game 3: Thunder at Pacers (Wed. June 11, 8:30pm ET) Game 4: Thunder at Pacers (Fri. June 13, 8:30pm ET) Game 5: Pacers at Thunder (Mon. June 16, 8:30pm ET)* Game 6: Thunder at Pacers (Thu. June 19, 8:30pm ET)* Game 7: Pacers at Thunder (Sun. June 22, 8:00pm ET)**if necessary
It came off the back of an incredible Jalen Williams performance, as he scored 40 points with six rebounds and four assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had a big game, scoring 31 points with two rebounds and 10 assists.
The Pacers got no help from their star Tyrese Haliburton who scored just four points during the contest.
He made four free throws and shot 0-for-6 from the field, one of the worst performances of his career.
Game 6 now heads back to Indiana on Thursday night where the Thunder will look to win their first championship in team history.
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