T.J. McConnell had an emotional outburst after the Indiana Pacers’ Game 7 loss to the OKC Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals. As much as McConnell’s teary eyes were heartbreaking for the fans across the league, a wholesome moment between him and a woman filled the hearts of thousands.
As McConnell walked through the tunnel after the game, a camera followed him, showing the individuals trying to comfort the Pacers guard. As one woman was hugging McConnell, she saw the cameraman and immediately told him to leave.
Due to her protective nature, many fans and pundits believed that the woman was McConnell’s mom. However, McConnell wrote a piece on Tuesday on The Players’ Tribune to set the record straight about his relationship with the woman. He revealed the entire saga of how the woman was confused as his mother.
Trending
"I'm crying my eyes out as I'm walking off the court, and one of the TV camera guys is following me through the tunnel," McConnell wrote. "And you can see this woman just kind of notice the camera guy — immediately block him from me — and then motion at him like, SIR. SIR, DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER STEP. LEAVE T.J. ALONE.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
"I think it must have been the way she seemed so protective of me … but people assumed it was my mom. So then of course the clip got shared all over social media, with millions of views and these captions like, 'T.J. MCCONNELL’S MOM DOES NOT PLAY.' Yeah. Lol. Not my mom."
McConnell revealed that the person was Karen Atkeson, the Pacers' vice president of player relations. He added that since the time he has been in Indiana, he has developed a great relationship with Atkeson, and she was there to support him during the toughest moment of his professional life.
However, McConnell did not just want to set the record straight about the misinformation, but send a bigger message to the Indiana fans. He said that the moment between him and Atkeson was just a reflection of the Pacers' entire season. Indiana fought as a family and lost the NBA Finals as a family.
T.J. McConnell gets honest about losing in the NBA Finals
Losing the NBA Finals is the hardest feeling for any player. After a series of battles to reach the championship round, going back home empty-handed is as hard as it could get.
The Indiana Pacers were one game away from winning the title, but their boat went in the opposite direction. In his article on The Players' Tribune on Tuesday, T.J. McConnell was not held captive by bad faith when he expressed his feelings about losing Game 7.
"You go from walking onto the floor, pre-game, and you're believing in your heart you're about to win a championship — to then suddenly you're walking off and it's over. Just over, the end, time to go home. Plus our guy is on crutches and we all know what it is. I could tell you how that moment was bittersweet, or how there were mixed emotions, but I'd be lying.
"It was just f***ing devastating, man."
McConnell ended the piece by highlighting that with Myles Turner traded and Tyrese Haliburton out for next season, the Pacers were once again written off. But he wondered how the story would end for Indiana next season; maybe they would prove their doubters wrong once again.
Pacers Fan? Check out the latest Indiana Pacers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.
