Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers drew its lowest audience rating since 2007.
The Pacers won what was a very entertaining game 111-110 on a Tyrese Haliburton jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining. The average viewership was 8.91 million viewers, the lowest since Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs swept LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.
COVID years were an exception, averaging a combined 8.7 million in 2020 and 2021.
Big media personalities have expressed disappointment over the Finals matchup, largely because it involves two small market teams. There is a perceived lack of star power as well.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals will be Sunday at 8:00 p.m. EST in Oklahoma City.
Many Are Excited For Thunder vs. Pacers Matchup
Jason McIntyre, who makes appearances on Fox Sports’ The Herd With Colin Cowherd, had a controversial take on the Finals matchup.
“I’m not that excited for these NBA Finals,” McIntyre said. “If I were the NBA, I would have changed its motto to, ‘Give me super teams or give me death.’ That’s what I like, I like superstars in the NBA Finals and we don’t really have that.
“We don’t have dynasties, we’ve got debuts, and that just isn’t as sexy as what we’ve had here in the last quarter century.
The numbers seem to reflect McIntyre’s views though his perspective is flawed. It was always inevitable that there would be a changing of the guard as the likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant aged.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is absolutely superstar material, as is Tyrese Haliburton. Their names are just going to take some getting used to as they establish themselves in the minds of casual fans.
Former Indiana Pacers sharp shooter C.J. Miles jumped all over McIntyre’s view on Twitter/X, calling it “loser talk.”
Just say you don’t like basketball…go on youtube and watch highlights
You’re upset that the two best teams are in the finals
This is loser talk .. you don’t love the game …don’t know the game so you can’t talk about it with out a “superstar” fan base to cater to https://t.co/GGSjOPjjJt
— C.J. Miles (@masfresco) June 5, 2025
“Just say you don’t like basketball…go on youtube and watch highlights You’re upset that the two best teams are in the finals This is loser talk .. you don’t love the game …don’t know the game so you can’t talk about it with out a “superstar” fan base to cater to.”
There have been plenty others who chose the moment of Haliburton’s game winner to dunk all over McIntyre and those with similar views.
Longtime NBA journalist and Hall-of-Famer David Aldridge took a not so subtle shot at those who are on the same wavelength as McIntyre. He didn’t specifically name names, though.
Never cared about people who have already decided before a series that they won’t watch, for whatever reason. Don’t care what their reasons are. Don’t want ’em on the boat. If you love hoops, you’ll love this series. Period. And I love hoops.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) June 6, 2025
