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NBA Finals 2025: From Loud City to Pacers Nation, get to know OKC and Indianapolis

NBA Finals 2025: From Loud City to Pacers Nation, get to know OKC and Indianapolis

Yahoo05-06-2025
Oklahoma City and Indianapolis are about to get to know each other well.
That'll happen when your basketball teams go at it in the NBA Finals.
With the games scheduled across two-plus weeks, there's lots of time for those of us in the Big Friendly to get familiar with the Circle City. We, of course, are similar in our love of big-time professional basketball, but our cities, our fan bases and more are different.
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Let's speed up the learning curve.
We are Loud City. They are Pacers Nation.
We are Thunder Up. They are Yes 'Cers.
We are The 405. They are The 317.
We are hated in Seattle. They are hated in Baltimore.
We changed the name. They did not.
More: How original Paul George trade between OKC Thunder, Pacers created unlikely NBA Finals
They are Herb Simon and the Irsay family. We are Clay Bennett and his band of merry owners.
They are the Indy 500. We are the Land Run.
They are the lead car. We are a force of nature.
They are Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We are Devon Park.
We are Jocelyn Alo. They are Caitlin Clark.
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They are the NCAA. We are USA Softball.
We are the 2028 Olympics. They are the 2028 Olympic swim trials.
They are college basketball. We are college football.
We are Blake Griffin, Sam Bradford and Joe Carter. They are Oscar Robertson, Zack Martin and Oscar Charleston.
We are 'Kelvin Sampson is so great.' They are 'Kelvin Sampson can kick rocks.'
More: What impresses OKC Thunder coach Mark Daigneault most about Pacers, NBA Finals foe?
Indiana Pacers fans celebrate outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse after the Pacers defeated the New York Knicks, 125 - 108, in game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Indianapolis.
We are the Oklahoma Monarchs and the Oklahoma City Comets. They are the Indianapolis Clowns and the Indianapolis Indians.
They are Victory Field. We are Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
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We are Scissortail Park. They are White River State Park.
They are Central Canal. We are Bricktown Canal.
We are Cattleman's. They are St. Elmo.
They are the Children's Museum. We are the Oklahoma City Memorial & Museum.
We are Devon Energy and Continental Resources. They are Eli Lilly and Salesforce.
They are railroads. We are oil rigs.
We are David Holt. They are, well, no one has a mayor cooler than us.
We are Vince Gill. They are John Cougar Mellencamp.
We are Flaming Lips. They are Lily & Madeleine.
We are Color Me Badd. They are Babyface.
More: How did OKC Thunder get back to NBA Finals? Timeline from Paul George trade to now
Fans cheer during a watch part at Paycom Center for game 3 of the Wester Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Oklahoma City, on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
They are David Letterman. We are Bill Hader. (OK, he's from Tulsa, but he's a big Thunder fan, so we'll allow it.)
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They are Vivica A. Fox, Joyce DeWitt and Mike Epps. We are Olivia Munn, James Marsden and Kristin Chenoweth. (Again, she is from Broken Arrow but a huge Thunder fan.)
They are 'Hoosiers.' We are 'Oklahoma!'
We are Ralph Ellison. They are Madam C.J. Walker.
We are the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole. They are the Miami and the Delaware.
We are the Stockyards and cowboys. They are Municipal Gardens and corn.
We are the Oklahoma State Capitol. They are the Indiana State Capitol.
And during the NBA Finals, there's one more thing that all of us will come to discover.
One of us will be home to the 2025 NBA champ.
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The other won't.
More: OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers matchup breakdown. Who has the edge?
Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at @jennicarlsonok.bsky.social and twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Finals 2025: Your guide to OKC, Indianapolis before Thunder-Pacers
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McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight
McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight

Washington Post

timean hour ago

  • Washington Post

McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight

Summer McIntosh won three individual gold medals a year ago at the Olympics, the star in the Paris pool alongside France's Léon Marchand. Apparently unsatisfied with three, she'll go for five gold medals starting Sunday at the world swimming championships in Singapore. Call it a trial run for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The worlds is the highest profile swim meet since last year's Olympics, a showcase for newcomers as well as veterans who hope to stick around until Los Angeles. McIntosh will be very busy during the eight days in the pool, packing her schedule with five individual events. She'll contend with prelims in some events, and she'll also add relays. 'This means 14 or 15 races she could swim in eight days, demanding races,' Canada's head coach Iain McDonald told The Associated Press. 'It's a very challenging schedule she's set for herself.' The 18-year-old Canadian set three world records in five days in June at the national trials. She broke her own 400-meter individual medley mark, dropping it to 4 minutes, 23.65 seconds, and set the 200 IM record (2:05.70) and the 400 freestyle record (3:54.18). She was also a mere half-second behind the 200 butterfly record, which has stood since 2009, and just off the 800 freestyle record set last month by American Katie Ledecky. 'She's such a versatile athlete, it's kind of tough to nail what her best events are,' McDonald said. 'She's pretty good right across the spectrum.' McIntosh will be the focus on Day 1 of the pool events in Singapore. She swims the 400 freestyle final, and comes back about 30 minutes later for a semifinal of the 200 IM. Despite holding the world record in the 400 free, she's never won gold in the event at the Olympics or worlds. This time she's ready, and credits coach Fred Vergnoux. 'I'm super pumped for the 400 freestyle and I'm really excited to see how I manage doing the double,' McIntosh told Canadian broadcaster the CBC. McIntosh said Vergnoux has boosted her endurance, pointing more to distance events. 'It's true that I haven't been able to do it on world stage yet,' she said of the 400. 'I think going into past big meets I haven't had the confidence in my training and my freestyle in general — technique-wise and endurance-wise — that I have now.' Ariarne Titmus was the gold medalist in Paris with silver for McIntosh, but the Australian swimmer is taking a year off. It's Titmus's record that McIntosh just broke. Ledecky, the bronze medalist in Paris, appears to be McIntosh's chief rival. McIntosh will also face Ledecky in the 800, which might be the only race where McIntosh is not favored. It's probably 50-50, and it might be the biggest race of the championships. Ledecky set the world record this year of 8:04.12, and McIntosh is right behind, having clocked 8:05.07. 'I think she loves it (the challenge),' Greg Meehan, the U.S. team director, said of Ledecky. 'There are always threats coming at you because you've set yourself to be the gold standard.' McIntosh dominates the two IM races, and should also be a favorite in the 200 butterfly. Ledecky's best race is the 1,500 where she holds the world record and also has the 23 top times in history in the event — and No. 25, too. McIntosh is not in the field here. McIntosh, who will swim this fall under Bob Bowman at the University of Texas at Austin, arrived on the scene aged 14 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, finishing fourth in the 400 free. 'She's been such a strong performer through her entire career at such a young age,' McDonald said. 'But she always manages to surprise you, upping her game a little bit.' Some of the attention in Singapore will be on 12-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi . Yu has qualified in the 200 and 400 IMs and the 200 butterfly and could face McIntosh in all three finals. Unbelievably, she could win a medal — at 12. Yu's time of 2:10.63 in the Chinese championships in May was the fastest by any 12 year old — female or male — in history. She's also swum 2:06.83 in the 200 fly and 4:35.53 in the 400 IM. Both of those times would have been good for fourth place in last year's Olympics. Astoundingly, Yu is 12 to 15 seconds faster than McIntosh was at age 12, depending on the event. That's roughly a half-lap of a 50-meter pool. 'There is always somebody coming up next,' McDonald said. ___ AP sports:

McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight
McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight

San Francisco Chronicle​

time2 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight

Summer McIntosh won three individual gold medals a year ago at the Olympics, the star in the Paris pool alongside France's Léon Marchand. Apparently unsatisfied with three, she'll go for five gold medals starting Sunday at the world swimming championships in Singapore. Call it a trial run for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The worlds is the highest profile swim meet since last year's Olympics, a showcase for newcomers as well as veterans who hope to stick around until Los Angeles. McIntosh will be very busy during the eight days in the pool, packing her schedule with five individual events. She'll contend with prelims in some events, and she'll also add relays. 'This means 14 or 15 races she could swim in eight days, demanding races,' Canada's head coach Iain McDonald told The Associated Press. 'It's a very challenging schedule she's set for herself.' The 18-year-old Canadian set three world records in five days in June at the national trials. She broke her own 400-meter individual medley mark, dropping it to 4 minutes, 23.65 seconds, and set the 200 IM record (2:05.70) and the 400 freestyle record (3:54.18). She was also a mere half-second behind the 200 butterfly record, which has stood since 2009, and just off the 800 freestyle record set last month by American Katie Ledecky. 'She's such a versatile athlete, it's kind of tough to nail what her best events are,' McDonald said. 'She's pretty good right across the spectrum." Opening day McIntosh will be the focus on Day 1 of the pool events in Singapore. She swims the 400 freestyle final, and comes back about 30 minutes later for a semifinal of the 200 IM. Despite holding the world record in the 400 free, she's never won gold in the event at the Olympics or worlds. This time she's ready, and credits coach Fred Vergnoux. 'I'm super pumped for the 400 freestyle and I'm really excited to see how I manage doing the double,' McIntosh told Canadian broadcaster the CBC. McIntosh said Vergnoux has boosted her endurance, pointing more to distance events. 'It's true that I haven't been able to do it on world stage yet,' she said of the 400. 'I think going into past big meets I haven't had the confidence in my training and my freestyle in general — technique-wise and endurance-wise — that I have now.' Ariarne Titmus was the gold medalist in Paris with silver for McIntosh, but the Australian swimmer is taking a year off. It's Titmus's record that McIntosh just broke. Ledecky, the bronze medalist in Paris, appears to be McIntosh's chief rival. McIntosh will also face Ledecky in the 800, which might be the only race where McIntosh is not favored. It's probably 50-50, and it might be the biggest race of the championships. Ledecky set the world record this year of 8:04.12, and McIntosh is right behind, having clocked 8:05.07. 'I think she loves it (the challenge),' Greg Meehan, the U.S. team director, said of Ledecky. 'There are always threats coming at you because you've set yourself to be the gold standard.' McIntosh dominates the two IM races, and should also be a favorite in the 200 butterfly. Ledecky's best race is the 1,500 where she holds the world record and also has the 23 top times in history in the event — and No. 25, too. McIntosh is not in the field here. McIntosh, who will swim this fall under Bob Bowman at the University of Texas at Austin, arrived on the scene aged 14 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, finishing fourth in the 400 free. 'She's been such a strong performer through her entire career at such a young age,' McDonald said. "But she always manages to surprise you, upping her game a little bit.' Attention on Yu Some of the attention in Singapore will be on 12-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi. Yu has qualified in the 200 and 400 IMs and the 200 butterfly and could face McIntosh in all three finals. Unbelievably, she could win a medal — at 12. Yu's time of 2:10.63 in the Chinese championships in May was the fastest by any 12 year old — female or male — in history. She's also swum 2:06.83 in the 200 fly and 4:35.53 in the 400 IM. Both of those times would have been good for fourth place in last year's Olympics. Astoundingly, Yu is 12 to 15 seconds faster than McIntosh was at age 12, depending on the event. That's roughly a half-lap of a 50-meter pool. 'There is always somebody coming up next,' McDonald said. ___

McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight
McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

McIntosh goes for 5 individual golds at world championships with Los Angeles Olympics in sight

Summer McIntosh won three individual gold medals a year ago at the Olympics, the star in the Paris pool alongside France's Léon Marchand. Apparently unsatisfied with three, she'll go for five gold medals starting Sunday at the world swimming championships in Singapore. Call it a trial run for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The worlds is the highest profile swim meet since last year's Olympics, a showcase for newcomers as well veterans who hope to stick around until Los Angeles. McIntosh will be very busy during the eight days in the pool, packing her schedule with five individual events. She'll contend with prelims in some events, and she'll also add relays. 'This means 14 or 15 races she could swim in eight days, demanding races,' Canada's head coach Iain McDonald told The Associated Press. 'It's a very challenging schedule she's set for herself.' The 18-year-old Canadian set three world records in five days in June at the national trials. She broke her own 400-meter individual medley mark, dropping it to 4 minutes, 23.65 seconds, and set the 200 IM record (2:05.70) and the 400 freestyle record (3:54.18). She was also a mere half-second behind the 200 butterfly record, which has stood since 2009, and just off the 800 freestyle record set last month by American Katie Ledecky. 'She's such a versatile athlete, it's kind of tough to nail what her best events are,' McDonald said. 'She's pretty good right across the spectrum." Opening day McIntosh will be the focus on Day 1 of the pool events in Singapore. She swims the 400 freestyle final, and comes back about 30 minutes later for a semifinal of the 200 IM. Despite holding the world record in the 400 free, she's never won gold in the event at the Olympics or worlds. This time she's ready, and credits coach Fred Vergnoux. 'I'm super pumped for the 400 freestyle and I'm really excited to see how I manage doing the double,' McIntosh told Canadian broadcaster the CBC. McIntosh said Vergnoux has boosted her endurance, pointing more to distance events. 'It's true that I haven't been able to do it on world stage yet,' she said of the 400. 'I think going into past big meets I haven't had the confidence in my training and my freestyle in general — technique-wise and endurance-wise — that I have now.' Ariarne Titmus was the gold medalist in Paris with silver for McIntosh, but the Australian swimmer is taking a year off. It's Titmus's record that McIntosh just broke. Ledecky, the bronze medalist in Paris, appears to be McIntosh's chief rival. McIntosh will also face Ledecky in the 800, which might be the only race where McIntosh is not favored. It's probably 50-50, and it might be the biggest race of the championships. Ledecky set the world record this year of 8:04.12, and McIntosh is right behind, having clocked 8:05.07. 'I think she loves it (the challenge),' Greg Meehan, the U.S. team director, said of Ledecky. 'There are always threats coming at you because you've set yourself to be the gold standard.' McIntosh dominates the two IM races, and should also be a favorite in the 200 butterfly. Ledecky's best race is the 1,500 where she holds the world record and also has the 23 top times in history in the event — and No. 25, too. McIntosh is not in the field here. McIntosh, who will swim this fall under Bob Bowman at the University of Texas at Austin, arrived on the scene aged 14 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, finishing fourth in the 400 free. 'She's been such a strong performer through her entire career at such a young age,' McDonald said. "But she always manages to surprise you, upping her game a little bit.' Attention on Yu Some of the attention in Singapore will be on 12-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi. Yu has qualified in the 200 and 400 IMs and the 200 butterfly and could face McIntosh in all three finals. Unbelievably, she could win a medal — at 12. Yu's time of 2:10.63 in the Chinese championships in May was the fastest by any 12 year old — female or male — in history. She's also swum 2:06.83 in the 200 fly and 4:35.53 in the 400 IM. Both of those times would have been good for fourth place in last year's Olympics. Astoundingly, Yu is 12 to 15 seconds faster than McIntosh was at age 12, depending on the event. That's roughly a half-lap of a 50-meter pool. 'There is always somebody coming up next,' McDonald said. ___ AP sports: Stephen Wade, The Associated Press

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