OKLAHOMA CITY — Indiana Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle crossed the practice court Sunday and smirked when he realized a line of video cameras and cellphones was tracking his every step. “There’s nothing exciting going on over here,” he said.

Pacers' Rick Carlisle Makes Eye Opening Comments on Officials Ahead of NBA Finals Game 5 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves deadlocked at two wins apiece heading into Monday night's 8:30 p.m. tip-off at the Paycom Center in OKC.

Scott Foster may be the NBA's only active celebrity referee. The official's poor reputation with players—they voted him the league's worst referee in a 2023 poll taken by The Athletic—has won him a kind of cult notoriety.