The Athletic's sports media reporters Andrew Marchand and Richard Deitsch preview the NBA Finals through its key media storylines.

Someone is set to make history in the 2025 NBA Finals. If the Indiana Pacers win the championship, it would mark the first in the 58-year history of the franchise. If the Oklahoma City Thunder win it,

Finals officials were selected based on their overall performance throughout the 1st 3 rounds of the 2025 playoffs.

The NBA Finals tip off at 7:30 p.m. CDT Thursday with the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder starting the best-of-seven series for the league championship. Cleveland swingman Isaac Okoro figures the Cavaliers ought to be representing the Eastern Conference instead of the Pacers.

NBA Finals will start in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center on Thursday for Game 1 off this year’s Finals. The two franchises had different paths to the championship stage,