Tyrese Haliburton is replacing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the star of the NBA Finals.
After seemingly every basketball expert in the world picked a young Oklahoma City Thunder team to win the 2024-25 championship, the Indiana Pacers hold a 2-1 Finals lead and claimed home-court advantage with a powerful 116-107 win in Game 3.
But TV ratings have been poor for these small-market Finals, while the biggest names in the NBA — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo — have been left off the court.
Even when the Pacers are mentioned, the first name that comes to mind is Hall of Fame sharpshooter Reggie Miller, instead of current Indiana stars Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin.
With 65-year-old Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on his third run in Indy — he was an assistant coach from 1997-2000, then became head coach for the first time from 2003-07 — the NBA’s present blends with the past in the current Finals.
Carlisle was an assistant to Larry ‘The Legend’ Bird when the Pacers fell 4-3 to Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals, which saw MJ average 31.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals.
Since those dynasty Bulls already proved they could beat Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, Dale Davis, Chris Mullin and Jalen Rose when it mattered, there’s no need to replay a tough seven-game series from ’98.
But what if those same 62-win Bulls — featuring Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr and Phil Jackson — faced Haliburton’s Pacers this June?
NBA fans across the globe might have indisputable proof that the sport isn’t what it used to be.
Or the Clutch King would shock the world and knock off MJ in his prime, after already erasing the Milwaukee Bucks‘ Antetokounmpo, the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Donovan Mitchell and the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson in the playoffs.
When comparing the ’98 Bulls vs the ’25 Pacers, some statistics are staggering. In the AI age, computer simulations are all the rage, including a ‘what if’ of Jordan playing James.
Here’s a closer look at a must-watch Finals that only requires a time machine …
Tyrese Haliburton is two wins away from winning the NBA FinalsGettyStar player – Michael Jordan vs Tyrese Haliburton
This comparison is a lopsided four-game sweep.
Haliburton has drilled big shot after big shot in the 2024-25 Finals.
But Jordan is the greatest player of all-time, and he was out for blood in ’98.
MJ averaged a league-high 28.7 points, won NBA MVP, finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and topped all that off by breaking the hearts of Karl Malone, John Stockton and the Utah Jazz in the ‘Last Dance’ Finals.
Haliburton is a good player on a well-constructed team.
Air Jordan redefined basketball greatness.
Jordan beat Reggie Miller 4-3 in the 1998 Eastern Conference finalsGettyHead coach – Phil Jackson vs Rick Carlisle
Another win for the Bulls — but don’t underestimate Carlisle.
He won the Finals as a player with the Boston Celtics‘ dynasty, and he coached Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks past The King’s ‘Big Three’ Miami Heat in 2010-11.
Carlisle has adjusted through multiple NBA eras, and is now getting the best out a Pacers team that wasn’t expected to even make the conference finals.
But Jackson was a zen master on the sideline, and he knew how to get the best out of Jordan on basketball’s biggest stage.
Phil Jackson won 11 championships as a head coach with the Bulls and LakersgettyOffense
This is where it gets interesting.
Of course, MJ and Pippen would stomp all over the Pacers, right?
The reality is that the NBA from 1998 is on a different planet compared to 2025.
Jordan’s Bulls shot 962 3-pointers.
Haliburton’s Pacers fired 2,934 3s — and they also shot a higher free-throw percentage than the last Bulls team to win a world title.
Factor in that Indiana averaged 20 more points a game than Chicago, and the ‘Time Machine Finals’ would be a serious clash of basketball cultures.
Could the dynasty Bulls outscore and keep up with the new Pacers?
It’s a fair question in 2025.
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Defense
This is where the series turns.
Indiana’s defense has improved in the Finals, but OKC has still scored at least 107 points in all three games.
The Pacers also allowed an average of 115.1 points this season, which ranked 17th out of 30 teams in the league.
Jordan was a defensive master, Rodman was a monster, and Pippen made 10 All-Defensive teams.
The ’98 Bulls only allowed 89.6 points per game, which was third-best in the NBA.
The game was slower then, big men still patrolled the paint, and defense was much tougher.
But there’s no doubt that Chicago would have punched Indiana in the mouth, game after game.
Head to head
1997-98 Chicago BullsRecord: 62-20Average points scored: 96.7Points allowed: 89.6FG%: 45.13s attempted: 962FT%: 74.3
2024-25 Indiana PacersRecord: 50-32Average points scored: 117.4Points allowed: 115.1FG%: 48.83s attempted: 2,934FT%: 78.9
X-Factor – Dennis Rodman vs Pascal Siakam
The Worm wins in a knockout.
Even with the Pacers firing endless 3s, what would Indy do to counter Rodman inside?
One of the best rebounders in NBA history averaged a league-high 15 boards in 1997-98, and he did it all while enjoying the wild side of life.
Siakam would compete hard against Rodman, but the Finals always brought out the best in the gritty Hall of Famer.
Dennis Rodman was a driving force in the Bulls’ last danceGettyFinals pick
Few believed that the Pacers would lead the Thunder 2-1 after three games.
But would anyone pick Haliburton’s current gutsy crew over Jordan’s ’98 Bulls?
It’s highly doubtful.
It’s also a reminder that the NBA is in a transition period with The King, Chef Curry and KD approaching the end of their careers.
Carlisle vs Jackson would be a cool coaching matchup.
Jordan only took 13 3-pointers in the ’98 Finals, which featured a timely push of the Jazz’s Byron Russell.
But it would be 4-0 Bulls over the overmatched Pacers with a time machine, and MJ would have been a perfect 7-0 in the NBA Finals.
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