Pacers substitute McConnell shed tears on the field! 12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists tied the finals

After the sixth game of the finals in which the Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91, a touching scene was staged in front of an American audience: 32-year-old substitute guard McConnell choked up several times in an interview, and said the words that moved countless fans with tears in his eyes - "I can't express it in words... I love here, I love these fans, I love this team. "

This is not a sensational script, but a true expression of a undrafted draft on the highest stage of the NBA. McConnell's eyes were wet when Isiah Thomas praised his fighting spirit in the studio, and that moment of sincerity hit everyone watching the live broadcast.

The counterattack path from undraft to the finals heroes

The time went back to 2015. At the draft that year, McConnell's name was not called by any team. That night, some young people with basketball dreams left the court sadly, but McConnell did not give up. He chose the most difficult path - starting with the Development Alliance and proving himself step by step.

Ten years have passed, and this guard, who is only 1.85 meters tall, has become an indispensable spiritual leader of the Pacers. On the stage of the finals, facing the Thunder's strong impact, it was McConnell who stood up at a critical moment. In the sixth game, he contributed comprehensive data of 12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in just 24 minutes, and every statistics shines with his fighting spirit. The blood and sweat behind the data, and the persistence

12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals - this set of data may not be gorgeous enough, but anyone who knows McConnell knows what kind of energy is behind it. Every time the pine ball that was rushing to the floor, every time the physical strength was refusing to defend, every precise pass was interpreting what it means to "play with life".

The Pacers' head coach did not hide his praise for McConnell in an interview after the game: "He is our metronome and our spiritual pillar. When the game is in a stalemate, he always stands up and tells his teammates what to do with his actions. " Such an evaluation is already the highest honor for a substitute player.

In the NBA, a league where talented people gather, McConnell proved a truth in his own way: talent can determine your upper limit, but hard work determines how far you can go. His father once told him: "You can work harder than others." This simple word became McConnell's career motto.

Banner Life Stadium Boiling and Moving

When McConnell completed two consecutive key steals in the fourth quarter, 20,000 spectators at the Banker Life Stadium shouted his name in unison. At that moment, the yellow ocean surging in the stands, and every Pacers fan shouted wildly for this inconspicuous substitute.

"These fans are great," McConnell paused several times during the interview, trying to control his emotions. "They give us endless strength. Whenever we fall behind and hear their shouts, I feel that I can run faster and jump higher. "

This emotional bond between players and fans is the best side of the NBA. In this highly commercialized league, players like McConnell remind us that the essence of basketball is still about dreams, persistence and love.

Silent power in the locker room

The teammates' evaluation of McConnell was surprisingly consistent: "He is our spiritual pillar. "Halliburton, a young core player, said in an interview: "Whenever I feel tired or frustrated, look at McConnell's struggle on the court, I know that I have no reason not to do my best. "

This is the value of McConnell - he uses his actions to interpret what professional spirit is and what never gives up. In the Pacers' locker room, he may not be the one who scored the most, nor the one who paid the most, but he is definitely the one who is most respected.

The seventh decisive battle is imminent

As the finals are dragged into Game 7, McConnell's role will become more important. Historical data shows that in the seventh game of the finals, it is often not the superstars who decide the winner, but the role players who can stand out at critical moments.

For the Pacers, McConnell is like this. His experience, his calmness, and his fighting spirit will all become important weapons for the team to compete for the championship. More importantly, he has proved one with his performance: on the highest stage in the NBA, the bigger the heart is, the bigger the stage is.

Life Revelation Beyond Basketball

McConnell's story goes beyond basketball itself, it tells us a simple and profound truth: in this world, talent is important, but more important is the spirit of never giving up and persevering efforts. From the 2015 undraft to the 2025 Finals, McConnell has written a legend about his dreams with his persistence.

When he said "I love here" in the interview, the sincerity touched countless people. In this fast-paced era, stories like McConnell remind us that some things cannot be bought by money, such as loyalty, love, and the persistence of never compromising dreams. Game 7 of the

Finals is coming, and no matter what the result is, McConnell is already the real winner of the series. He used his performance to prove what it means to "never underestimate a champion's heart" and also illuminated the light for everyone with dreams.