When it comes to NBA beef, we’re used to seeing players trade words. But what unfolded during and after Game 4 of the NBA Finals? That was something else. Forget about just trash talk between stars—this time, it was ESPN vs. ESPN. Pat McAfee’s in-game hype promo had the Pacers faithful fired up, but it also lit a fire under Kendrick Perkins, who didn’t hold back after Indiana’s painful collapse against the Thunder.
And Perkins, never one to whisper when he can thunder, dropped a spicy response that now lives rent-free in McAfee’s mentions. “By the way, Pat McAfee, in OKC, we don’t need nobody on the mic to get them hyped,” said the former Thunder center. “They’re gonna be hyped. That building is gonna be rocking.”
With that mic drop, Perkins just added fuel to a fire that’s been simmering between Stephen A. Smith, McAfee, and the ever-defiant Tyrese Haliburton.
“By the way, Pat McAfee, in OKC, we don’t need nobody on the mic to get them hyped. They’re gonna be hyped. That building is gonna be rocking.”
Kendrick Perkins responds to Pat McAfee hyping the Indiana crowd up. pic.twitter.com/fEF24ky3Zw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 14, 2025
Let’s set the scene. Game 4, NBA Finals. The Indiana crowd is going nuts, their team up 2-1 in the series, holding home-court advantage, and in walks Pat McAfee like he’s the Ric Flair of Indianapolis. Microphone in hand, big grin on his face, he lets the crowd know they’re not just watching a basketball game—they’re making a statement.
With his trademark flair, McAfee jabbed at the critics, including his ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith, and mocked the OKC hype. “Even though we’re up 2-1 in the series with home court advantage… the Oklahoma City Thunder who are favored to win the NBA title,” he began, voice soaked in sarcasm. The crowd ate it up like it was dollar beer night.
And then came the direct hit: “The sports books don’t know Stephen A. Smith!”—a clear shot at the narrative ESPN itself had been spinning. The fans erupted. McAfee crowned them as “the greatest fan base in the history of sport,” and just when it felt like the promo was hitting its Hulk Hogan-level peak… bam! The broadcast cut away. Just like that. Silence.
The Collapse That Wrote Itself
Unfortunately for Pat McAfee, the only thing that got rocked harder than his mic drop was the Indiana offense. The Pacers, who’d been riding high, suddenly looked like they couldn’t shoot a beach ball into a swimming pool. One assist in the entire fourth quarter. That’s not bad basketball—that’s basketball purgatory.
Tyrese Haliburton, the star caught in this crossfire of hot takes, finished with 18 points and five turnovers, but vanished when it mattered most. You could almost hear Stephen A. Smith’s “win the damn chip, bro” echoing through the fourth quarter as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cooked Indiana like it was Sunday BBQ. The MVP candidate dropped 15 of his 35 points in that final stretch. Clutch gene? Active.
And Haliburton’s playoff vanishing act? It’s been a thing. Game 2: five points through three quarters. Game 5 vs. Knicks: just eight total. He admitted it himself after Game 2—he needs to start better. But when Game 4 was there for the taking? Gone like the Pacers’ lead.
This whole saga actually started before the bright lights of Game 4. The Athletic’s anonymous player poll named Haliburton the most overrated player in the league, and the takes came fast and furious. Stephen A. Smith, never one to miss a dramatic moment, blasted Hali for being inconsistent and not ready for superstardom. “They have to talk to you. I don’t get paid to talk to you. I get paid to talk about you,” he quipped on First Take. That’s not shade. That’s solar eclipse-level.
Haliburton tried to play it cool, brushing off the critics as “talking heads,” but when you call out ESPN on ESPN, the studio fights back. And Pat McAfee, Indiana’s proudest hype man, just had to jump in and defend his guy. It’s worth noting McAfee did try to de-escalate earlier, telling Stephen A. to “relax, dude” on his show. But by Game 4, all gloves were off.
While McAfee stole the mic, Kendrick Perkins snatched the moment. The ESPN crew looked visibly uneasy when Perk went scorched earth on live TV, but the man spoke his truth—and yeah, Pacers fans might not be lining up for his autograph anytime soon. The boos in Game 6? Likely to be louder than a Chris Webber timeout call.
And let’s be real, Perkins was probably still feeling that OKC pride. He played there. He’s lived that playoff energy. And you can bet your bottom dollar he wasn’t about to let someone imply that Indiana’s crowd trumps what the Thunder faithful bring to the table.
So where does this leave us? The NBA Finals are tied 2-2, and the Thunder have the swagger now. Pat McAfee’s promo was bold, brash, and peak Indiana energy—but the game that followed made it feel like someone hit “mute” on his rally cry. And while Stephen A. Smith didn’t need to say another word, the stat sheet said it all.
Pacers fans? They’ll rally. Game 5 is do-or-die energy. But McAfee, Kendrick Perkins, Stephen A., and Haliburton have all officially made this Finals about more than basketball. It’s narrative warfare—and right now, Oklahoma City’s writing the better script.
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