The Finals aren’t just a basketball war zone, they’re an emotional and physical marathon.
Right now, both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers are limping toward the finish line, tied 2-2 and completely worn down.
Pascal Siakam has been here before. Back in 2019 with the Raptors, he hit a wall, physically and mentally.
“In ’19, I was probably less than 200 pounds by the time I got to the Finals,” Siakam told Yahoo Sports. “I mean I was this skinny. All the weight through the playoffs, it was so much.”
He added, reflecting on the time that has passed since then, “Now, I’m able to take care of my body, do different things. Because I’m just mature and I’m older too. So I’m able to really react well to all the things and media and everything, so it’s a different experience.”
“It takes a toll mentally and physically, obviously. But the way I try to look at it is like, this is a blessing. This is where you want to be. So I think you try to take care of your body, obviously, but also just mentally thinking that, like, I’m blessed to be able to play at this time of the year.”
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is feeling it as well.
“It’s a lot of games. It’s tiring, for sure,” Shai said. “But every game is tiring. When you’re giving your all, every possession, you’re going to be tired.”
Although SGA is tired, he knows playing in the NBA at this time of year is a great privilege.
“It’s something new. Something new for a lot of us, and a lot of us haven’t been this late into the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But I think above all, it’s been very fun. It’s been everything I dreamt it to be growing up. There’s no other place in the world I’d rather be, and I’m grateful to be here. Thankful for the experience, for sure.”
