Kelly Oubre Jr. didn’t leave much room for interpretation ahead of Saturday’s Pacers-Nuggets matchup in Mexico City. He wants the crowd at Arena CDMX to bring energy, noise, and plenty of pride when Indiana plays its first game in Mexico.
“Loud, proud,” Oubre said. “If they had what y'all be having at the football games, the little, what’s it called, man?
The little [things] you put in the air [for] smoke. If y'all had [the] smoke, that would be everything.
[That would] pretty much encapsulate what I believe Mexican fans are. Just be loud, be proud, and just do what y'all do when y'all watch football.”
The Pacers got to Mexico City late Thursday afternoon, arriving a few days after Día de Muertos with holiday decorations still lining the streets. By Friday morning, they were on the floor at Arena CDMX for practice, with a large contingent of Mexican media waiting once the session wrapped up.
The game is sold out after tickets went on sale May 29, and more than 22,000 fans are expected. Indiana, listed as the home team, will also have gold Lucas Oil T-shirts placed on every seat for its Gold Out.
The NBA is again leaning into a Día de Muertos theme for the third straight year, including a specially designed court.
For Oubre, the setting brings back a familiar memory. He already played at Arena CDMX once before, in December 2019 with the Phoenix Suns, when they lost 121-119 in overtime to the San Antonio Spurs.
Saturday will be the 16th regular-season NBA game played in Mexico. The first came in 1997, and the league has staged at least one game in Mexico City in each of the last five seasons.
Oubre called the experience “Very special,” adding, “It’s just special whenever you can come and just play somewhere out of your comfort zone in a sense. Obviously we’re very close to you guys, but we don’t get to showcase our talents to you very often. So this is a great opportunity to gain some new fans and to show love to this beautiful country.”
Indiana’s players are taking in the city in different ways. Larry Nance Jr., making his first trip to Mexico, hoped to catch a Liga MX match while the team is in town, according to Pacers.com.
Aaron Nesmith, who played in Indiana’s 136-98 win over the Spurs in Paris in January 2025, said the atmosphere overseas felt different from a normal NBA night and expects something similar in Mexico City.
“I expect a very loud crowd, expect there’s some good chants,” Nesmith said. “I’m just excited to see what the atmosphere is like for sports here in Mexico.”
Pascal Siakam echoed that excitement. He called the crowd “Passionate, exciting,” and said he was looking forward to it.
Siakam and Ivica Zubac had both been to Mexico before, but neither had been to Mexico City. Siakam said the welcome has been strong since arrival.
“It’s been great,” Siakam explained. “Came in, it was great, great welcome.”
“It’s been awesome. People have been awesome,” Siakam continued.
“Obviously, I’ve been to Mexico before, but it’s my first time in Mexico City, so this is great. I’m enjoying it so far.
I got some good food, and it’s been good.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is on his third trip to the city, having brought the Dallas Mavericks there in 2017 and 2019. Dallas won both games.
“Amazing city,” Carlisle said. “I heard today it’s the biggest city in North America, which is pretty impressive.”
Nesmith is still waiting on a final verdict on the food. So far, he’s only had steak tacos.
“I can’t give a valid answer yet,” Nesmith said. “I’m going to see at the end of my trip, but so far so good.”
After practice, the Pacers also took part in community programming. Assistant coach Isaac Yacob joined Oubre, Obi Toppin, and Andrew Nembhard for an NBA Cares clinic with local youth players, while Nance and Jarace Walker led students through an NBA Math Hoops program.
The game will air live on ESPN in Mexico, and the league’s international broadcast reaches more than 200 countries and territories. Siakam, who won the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors before joining Indiana, said the NBA’s global reach makes moments like this meaningful.
“It’s always great. I think obviously just seeing how global the league has been and being in different countries,” Siakam said.
“And as you said, I played in Toronto before, so I know what it means to the country, to the fans in Canada and all that. So I know that basketball is starting to grow here, too.
And it’s something that we’re excited to be a part of. And it’s always a great experience because the fans are super passionate and excited about everything.”
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