Tony Bradley discusses the Pacers' Game 7 loss to the Thunder in the NBA Finals
Tony Bradley played five minutes in the Pacers' 103-91 loss to the Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Dustin Dopirak
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
After the Thunder's NBA title, any organization can learn from these 4 culture lessons
Editor's note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Follow Peak here. After the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP of both the finals and the league this season, discussed what he considered the most impressive aspect of the accomplishment. 'Our togetherness on and off the court, how much fun we have … it made it so much easier,' he said. 'It made it feel like we were just kids playing basketball. All the achievements and accolades don't even come close to the satisfaction of winning with your brothers and people you are so close to and want to succeed just as much as you want yourself to succeed.' Advertisement The Thunder are no doubt a team of talented players. However, they are also a team and organization full of lessons about culture, mindset and teamwork that can be applied to any company or organization. Here are our four favorites: During his time coaching in the G League, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault started a ritual with his players. He called it 'be where our feet are' time. For 30 seconds before practices, everyone in the gym was asked to close their eyes and take a moment to be present. As Daigneault told The Athletic's Christian Clark in January, 'You don't want to be thinking about the past. You don't want to be thinking about the future. Life is lived in the moment. The game is played in the moment.' It's a cool idea anyone can use. Earlier in the season, Gilgeous-Alexander called some of his teammates 'cockroaches' and 'hyenas.' He meant it as a total compliment. 'The world is seeing … what we call the cockroaches in our locker room, the cockroaches and hyenas,' he said. 'The guys that do the little work, that don't get the most plays, that don't average 30, but their part of our season, our winning, is just as big.' A quote that may seem funny at first actually has a deeper significance to it. By appreciating the 'little work' and the guys 'that don't get the most plays,' Oklahoma City fosters an environment of appreciation and teamwork. Everyone's role becomes important, a piece of the big puzzle. The Thunder took that seriously this season, and it's exemplified in what Gilgeous-Alexander said in John Hollinger's story months ago: 'We're not just one or two guys; we're 15 guys.' A great example happened during the playoffs. In Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the Thunder listened to Jaylin Williams as he spoke up in the huddle. Not Jalen Williams, the All-Star, but Jaylin Williams, the reserve center from Arkansas, who played 15 minutes in the finals. Advertisement When Hollinger talked to Williams about why he felt comfortable sharing his opinion, it was evident in his answer that his decision to speak up stemmed from the team's culture at large. 'Being able to watch it from the side, I get a different view,' Williams said. 'Trying to kind of echo what we need to do, echo the plan. Sometimes it's different hearing it from a player that's going through a battle with you than hearing it from a coach, so I'm trying to talk to the guys. 'We've always had this saying where if you feel like there's something that you want to say to a teammate, like, nobody's bigger than the program. So, you just say it to each other.' A championship-caliber team in the NBA must have a program full of hard-working, driven players and coaches. However, there's also something special about enjoying what you're doing. The Athletic's Sam Amick pointed this out following the Thunder's Game 5 win in the Western Conference finals, which sent them to the NBA Finals. Amick compared the Thunder, the youngest team in the NBA, to college freshmen at a fraternity party. As the players celebrated their win, Daigneault praised his team. 'These guys are uncommon,' he said. 'They're high character.' But as Daigneault spoke, his players hung towels on his shoulders and tossed a hat on his head. Quickly, Daigneault added, 'They're idiots.' But as Amick put it, they're Daigneault's idiots. And it's an energy that is hard to replicate. It's also a secret weapon. When a group that has a common goal also gets along exceptionally well, the chemistry will help carry that group to where it wants to go. Just look at the Thunder. 'These guys really make you feel like … I'm a kid playing AAU basketball, like I'm 15 years old again,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'They make it seem like it's just fun. I think that's what makes us really good. We have so much fun being out there together.' (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Jesse D. Garrabrant, Brian Babineau / NBAE / Getty Images)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tyrese Haliburton's Girlfriend Left Speechless After Seeing His Game 3 Outfit
Tyrese Haliburton's Girlfriend Left Speechless After Seeing His Game 3 Outfit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers returned home for Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Wednesday night with the series tied at one game apiece. Advertisement Haliburton was superb in the Pacers' 111-110 come-from-behind win in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left. Game 2 was a different story. By the end of the third quarter, the fifth-year point guard had just five points, three rebounds, four assists and three turnovers. He picked things up in the fourth, but it wasn't enough, as Indiana fell 123-107. Haliburton ended the night with 17 points, three rebounds and six assists. As he was gearing up for the start of Game 3, the 6-foot-5 two-time All-Star entered Gainbridge Arena locked in and in style. Haliburton wore a black tailored suit with white studs along the cuffs and hem of the blazer. Underneath, he wore a white button-down. He paired the suit with black dress shoes, dark sunglasses and carried a black leather duffel bag. Advertisement The NBA shared Haliburton's look on social media, and his girlfriend, Jade Jones, reposted it with no caption, just four heart-eyed emojis. "😍😍😍😍," Jones wrote. Jade Jones' Instagram Story on Tyrese Haliburton's outfit.@jadeeejones/Instagram Haliburton and Jones have been together for six years, celebrating their anniversary on April 16. They met in college at Iowa State where Haliburton played basketball and Jones was on the cheer squad. Haliburton was drafted No. 12 overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft before being traded to Indiana during the 2021–22 season. Related: Tyrese Haliburton's Postgame Moment with His Dad Is Turning Heads Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals His Favorite Basketball Player of All Time Without Hesitation This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
LeBron James Had One Word After Tyrese Haliburton's Game 7 Injury
LeBron James Had One Word After Tyrese Haliburton's Game 7 Injury originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton went down in visible pain during the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Advertisement After starting the game by hitting three of his first four shots from three and going 3-of-5 from the field, Haliburton caught a pass from teammate Obi Toppin near the top of the key and tried to drive past Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He planted his right foot and immediately collapsed to the floor. The 6-foot-5 guard knew right away and slapped the court many times before tears were brought to his eyes. Haliburton was then carried off the court by his teammates after he was unable to put any weight on his right leg. Immediately after the injury, the sports world took to social media, devastated for him. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, among the many, posted the "F" word on X. LeBron James' post on X after Tyrese Haliburton's injury.@KingJames/X This injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Pacers. Indiana reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, and a big reason for that was Haliburton. Advertisement The sixth-year guard had already hit three game-winners in these playoffs alone and came into Game 7 averaging 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game. The Sacramento Kings drafted Haliburton with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Pacers in the middle of the 2021-22 season. Since then, he's gone on to make two All-Star Games and be selected to the All-NBA Third Team twice. Related: Tyrese Haliburton's Girlfriend Left Speechless After Seeing His Game 3 Outfit This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
