The Oklahoma City Thunder thrilled everyone during the 2024-25 NBA season by winning their first championship in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. As the 2025 NBA offseason is underway, players enjoy time with their families while teams explore options to enhance their rosters. Meanwhile, excitement for the 2025-26 NBA season is growing.
ESPN’s Shams Charania recently added to this excitement by announcing the opening night games for the upcoming season. The Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the Golden State Warriors, while the Houston Rockets will take on the Thunder.
Both games are highly anticipated, with the Lakers vs. Warriors matchup historically drawing large crowds. The Rockets vs. Thunder game is particularly notable as it will feature Kevin Durant watching his former team raise the championship banner for the first time.
In the midst of all this hype, the schedule for the upcoming NBA games has surfaced on social media. The Thunder, Lakers, Warriors, and New York Knicks will each have the most national TV games, with a total of 34.
Despite reaching the NBA Finals last season and pushing the series to seven games, the Pacers will have only nine national TV appearances. This major disparity has caught widespread attention on social media.
Fan Backlash Erupts After News Of Uneven National TV Game Distribution Between Thunder And Pacers
When news about the major disparity in national TV games for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), fans began reacting strongly in the comment section.
One fan said, “Pacers weren’t getting much more than this no matter what. Market size = number of national games.”
Meanwhile, another fan mentioned, “Such disrespect.”
Another fan commented, “it’s cause hali’s hurt. if he wasn’t, we’d be champs and have plenty tv games.”
Another fan mentioned, “No Tyrese or Turner. Will be an off year.”
A sports enthusiast explained, “If Hali didn’t get injured they’d for sure have more. Still would have lost in game 7 tho.”
Another fan said, “Cause they ain’t got Hali.”
A basketball enthusiast mentioned, “Your “Star” player won’t be playing and the pacers didn’t win.”
Another fan said, “People must really like watching players shoot FTs.”
Many fans stated that Tyrese Haliburton’s absence in the 2025-26 NBA season is the main reason for this major disparity.
The post Major Disparity In Oklahoma City Thunder And Indiana Pacers’ National TV Games Draws Strong Fan Reactions originally published on Total Pro Sports.