The 2025 NBA Finals are set to tip off between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.
Though it’s not necessarily a series littered with household names, some Dallas basketball fans — of the pro, college and high school levels alike — will notice several familiar faces throughout the series.
Here’s a look at some of the NBA Finals’ local ties, starting with the most familiar of them all.
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reacts to being called for a technical foul as his team plays the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)(AJ Mast / AP)
Mavericks
Rick Carlisle
Carlisle was the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks for 13 seasons from 2008-21, and, oh yeah, was at the helm for the franchise’s first and only NBA championship.
After parting ways with the Mavericks, he was hired on relatively swiftly by the Pacers for what is his second stint with Indiana.
Whereas with Dallas he took over a very talented team and helped push them over the edge, Carlisle’s first season with the Pacers saw them finish with a 25-57 record. They’ve steadily improved every year since, and now sit atop the Eastern Conference behind a 50-win season and series victories over the Bucks, the 1-seed Cavaliers and the Knicks.
Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner (33) blocks a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, center, in the second half during Game 2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)(Sue Ogrocki / AP)Myles Turner
From Euless Trinity, to the Texas Longhorns, now to the NBA Finals.
It’s been a journey for the Bedford native Turner, and it didn’t stop once he reached the NBA. As far back as 2021 he was requesting trades out of Indiana, claiming the franchise saw him merely as a “glorified role player.“
Now he’s a key piece of the Finals-bound Pacers, averaging 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and serving as the team’s defensive anchor.
He still likes to “pay it forward” and give back to the DFW basketball community, though.
Related:For Pacers’ Myles Turner, hosting youth camp in D-FW is about more than basketball
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) looks for an outlet against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)(Nate Billings / AP)Cason Wallace
Wallace was born in Dallas and was a star at Richardson, named The Dallas Morning News’ Player of the Year in 2022.
He, like Turner, also loves to represent DFW, Wallace donning a suit to his NBA draft that was an homage to the neighborhood in Dallas in which he grew up.
In his second season with the Thunder, he’s a valuable piece coming off the bench at around 20 minutes a night. He’s averaging 5.4 points and 2.7 assists off the bench.
Related:Dallas youth basketball led to an unlikely friendship. A life-saving gift cemented it
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) works toward the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) defends during the first half of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)(Nate Billings / AP)Alex Caruso
Caruso made a name for himself at Texas A&M as a gritty, grindy baller and that reputation hasn’t lessened through his eight seasons in the NBA.
His addition to OKC last offseason has been a godsend, the College Station native adding veteran leadership and premier perimeter defense to the young, athletic group that is the Thunder.
Coaches attempt to keep Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin (11) and Dallas Mavericks forward James Johnson (16) away from each other during an altercation that got both players ejected from the game during the fourth quarter of play in the home opener at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 in Dallas. The Mavericks lost to the Hornets 118-99. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)James Johnson
The career journeyman spent a season with the Mavericks in 2020-21, where he and his well-known black belt in karate were tasked with making sure a young Luka Doncic didn’t get too beat up by the league.
Carlisle must have liked what he brought, as Johnson has been with the Pacers for the past three seasons.
Adam Flagler
Flagler served as the sixth man for the Baylor team that won the 2021 NCAA national championship, where he averaged 9.1 points and 2.3 rebounds a game for the future champs.
After going undrafted in 2023, he’s in his second season with the Thunder and played in 37 games this season.
Kenrich Williams
The Waco native spent five seasons at TCU from 2014-18 before signing on with the NBA as an undrafted free agent. He’s been a role player with the Thunder for five seasons now and averaged 6.3 points off the bench in 2024-25.
Quenton Jackson
After three NBA seasons, the former Aggie’s NBA career finally started to find a little traction in 2024-25 with the Pacers. Jackson played a career-high 28 games with Indiana this season, averaging 5.8 points and 1.9 assists per game.
RayJ Dennis
Dennis bounced from Boise State to Toledo to Baylor in college before being signed to the G-League.
He signed a two-way contract with Indiana in January and played 11 games with the Pacers this season.
Twitter: @coylio33
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Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.