INDIANAPOLIS — Tonight, the Indiana Pacers will take to the court for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a momentous occasion marked by nostalgia and family memories. Coincidentally, it’s 25 years to the day since the Pacers faced the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 at Conseco Fieldhouse, a game that coincided with the birth of WRTV's Kaitlyn Kendall's sister, Kelsey.
25 years ago, gas was $2.19 a gallon, toilet paper, $.33. It's also the day that the Pacers clinched a 100-91 victory over the Lakers.
With the signature chant of "Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Reg-gie!" echoing from memory, Kaitlyn's family remembers the energy that filled the city that day. It was a day Pacers fans would come out in droves to support the blue and gold.
The game wasn't just a pivotal moment for the Pacers; it was an unexpected milestone for Kelsey’s parents, who planned to host a watch party that fateful evening. “We were getting ready to have a party for the Pacers game and my water broke,” Amy Kendall recalled, laughing through the chaos.
“This album is the beginning of Kelsey’s life actually,” Dad, Kevin, added, recounting how the plans shifted when Kelsey made her entrance into the world three weeks early. “You were at work because I drove myself to the hospital,” Amy said. A playful debate ensued, with Kevin chiming in, "You gotta stop that for a minute because I think she's wrong." It was clear that the details of that day may be a little hazy.
“I was kind of born into it literally,” Kelsey quipped, as the conversation turned to how her birth intertwined with the Pacers' history. “The doctor and your dad were not doing what they were supposed to be doing—they were watching the game. We were watching it on the TV at the hospital while Kelsey was born," Amy added.
Ironically, if you know the Kendall family, you know that sports run in their blood. “It’s all blood, sweat, and tears," Kelsey admitted. "We are throwing things at the TV, it’s loud. Sometimes, some colorful words come out. It’s just very animated."
“Everybody in Pacer gear,” her dad chimed in, describing the family’s evident loyalty to the team. In every photo from the day Kelsey was born, Pacers gear, proudly worn by dad and Kelsey's three older siblings.
"The day before I went to the store and bought all you guys pacers shirts, for the party," Amy said.
Despite the chaos of Kelsey’s birth, the party for the Pacers continued. “The party still went on even though we weren’t home,” Kevin said with a chuckle.
Now, 25 years later, Kelsey is still the baby of the family, even as Kevin was teased about long-standing favorites. “Dad, is she your favorite?” Kaitlyn asked, to which her father responded, “No... I don’t know why your mom said that.”
Though Kelsey isn’t so little anymore, the family’s excitement for the Pacers’ success in the finals remains vibrant. “Reggie brought the great glory days and now Haliburton is bringing even more,” Kevin concluded, looking ahead to tonight’s pivotal game.
A quarter of a century later, the love for the Pacers runs deep in the Kendall family. And as they prepare to cheer on their team, one sentiment rings true for them all: "Go Pacers!"
