Generation Z will take over the NBA finals between the youngest Thunder and Pacers in decades

When the Oklahoma City Thunder stood out against the Indiana Pacers Thursday night in the 2025 NBA Finals, it was more than a battle for the championship – a milestone passed down from generation to generation.

Born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, almost exclusively Z Gen Gen players, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers are one of the youngest teams in NBA history to compete in the championship game. According to NBA data, the Thunder entered the season as the youngest team, with an average age of 24.148. The Pacers are slightly older at 25.263, but this number is still below the league average among teams entering the finals.

Minnesota Timberwolves v. Oklahoma City Thunder - Game 5
Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 celebrated after winning the Western Conference Finals MVP after defeating Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in the Western Conference Finals in the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 28, 2025 in Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2025, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2025, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2025, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2025, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander # Getty Images

The youngest team to win the championship was the Portland Trail Blazers nearly 50 years ago, with an average age of only 25.03. They were 24 years old at the time Bill Walton.

Now, the new generation of up-and-coming stars include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, Chet Holmgren and Bennedict Mathurin. The players themselves know the transformation that the final represents.

After the Pacers won in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals (their first trip to the finals in 25 years), Myles Turner has been the longest player on the team, reflecting what the 2025 playoffs can represent:

"The NBA has been very stylish since I joined the league. It just changed," he said. "The new trends are what we are doing now."

New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers - Game 6
Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner #33 celebrates the Bob Cousey Trophy after a 125-108 victory against the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoff Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 31, 2025. Getty Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated this year's regular season, ending with a 68-14 record and securing a No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. Under the leadership of 2024-25 MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, they were able to parade the playoffs most of their time, defeating a tough Mavericks in seven games, but it was easy to deal with the Timberwolves and Grizzlies.

According to the NBA Statistics Bureau, the Thunder are the youngest team to win 68 games in the regular season. If they win the 2025 championship, they will be the second-year team ever.

The Pacers finished the regular season with a record of 50-32, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference. Tyrese Haliburton, 24, leads the team along with Mathurin, 22, and Andrew Nembhard, 25.

Both the Thunder and Pacers have built their rosters through strategic drafts and trades.

Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City came through trade in 2019 when his prospects continued to rise. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren arrived together in 2022 in the first round draft pick. The Indiana Pacers’ Blueprint has a similar blueprint, trading Halliburton in 2022 and drafting Nimbard and Mautlin in the next few years.

Now both teams are in the finals and have not signed any veteran players with trademarks on the market.

A generation that has grown up with the internet is now reshaping NBA history. Together, the teams created a new lane that brought new energy and excitement to the young fan base by connecting with fans on social media.

Both teams posted more content on games on Instagram, X and Tiktok where the younger generation is located, drawing on OKC’s “Loud City” and Pacers’ “Pacer Nation.”

In a league where veterans like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry traditionally dominate the court, it feels like a torch pass this year.