FanJam provides fans with entertainment as Pacers once again show their superpower

INDIANAPOLIS – There were fans. There were jams. It was the 2026 installment of FanJam in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday as the Pacers took the court for an unofficial game, marking their first of 2026-27.

The roster was divided into two teams for an intrasquad scrimmage, one team that featured much of the starting lineup and another with the second unit paired. Those groups have been working together throughout training camp as they look to build chemistry ahead of the season. The full rosters (starters bolded) –

Blue team: Rienk Mast, Jalen Slawson, Ben Sheppard, Braden Smith, Kelly Oubre, Jarace Walker, Jay Huff, Obi Toppin

White team: James Johnson, Keba Keita, Kobe Brown, Ivica Zubac, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton

T.J. McConnell, Quenton Jackson, Johnny Furphy, and Larry Nance didn't play and merely observed. Nance (hamstring) and Furphy (ACL) were known injury-related absences.

This event features referees and can get more serious than a practice setting. The teams both wearing Pacers official uniforms makes it feel real. But reading much into the actual basketball play, and style, is not a fruitful endeavor. These players all know each other well and are aware of the sets being run by the other team. It's not a strong evaluation setting.

Circle City Spin

The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, up close

Circle City SpinTony East

And yet... just a few notes:

-Oubre opened the game trying to hit Toppin with a lob, a sign of things to come for Oubre. He stood out more than any other player with his activity, which included –
•Taking an early corner three that didn't fall, then driving to the basket for points on his next touch. That became a theme, he was looking to score.
•A full-court pass after a rebound that landed right in the arms of Toppin, who tossed the ball to a trailing Huff for points.
•Generally seeming to be everywhere on offense.

-The white team's first possession featured Siakam setting a screen for Haliburton, who found Zubac for a layup. Those three will always be worth keeping an eye on. There was plenty to observe from Zubac in this game, such as –
•Posting up Huff by absolutely slamming into him on the block, creating space for a hook shot
•Scoring the first eight points for his team and gobbling up several offensive rebounds. On nights in which the Pacers have an off shooting game (and boy did the white team in this one), Zubac will be valuable.

-Walker opened the scoring for the blue team with a putback layup.

-Nembhard had a strong moment of defensive manipulation after receiving a screen from Zubac. That play led to a Zubac layup.

-Tyrese Haliburton missed his first few shot attempts. Then –
•Hit A mid-range jumper from the baseline, and-one thanks to a foul by Smith. (Note: assistant coach Jenny Boucek called Smith over for a short chat after this basket.)
•Hit a nice longer two from the left side.
•About 6.5 minutes into the game, his first three dropped in from the top of the key.
Haliburton also asked for a challenge in this game and was convinced he was right. "We would have won. I mean, it was unbelievable," Haliburton said postgame.

-Jalen Slawson, as stated by the Pacers front office late last month, was the third-string center behind Huff. He drove hard to the cup for his only basket of the game. Worth keeping an eye on him in this role.

For much of the game, the crowd was anxious as the starters missed jump shot after jump shot. They wanted to cheer. Aaron Nesmith finally ended the drought as the team scored their ninth and 10th points, but they dug a big hole as a result.

The final score: Blue team 39, White team 28. The scrimmage took 27 minutes to complete.

Performers of note —
•Oubre: 17 points (7/10), three rebounds, one assist. Oubre postgame: "Just moving. Playing with confidence, kind of playing within the flow of the game. But it was 12 minutes. So I was just trying to challenge myself to see if this was a real game, can I start off hot? Can I continue to be consistent throughout the game and make [an] impact and winning plays?"
•Zubac: 12 points (6/7), six rebounds
•Haliburton: Eight points (3/6), four assists

The game is fun, and we'll get to the singing and dancing in a moment. But what this event is really about is the fans. It's literally in the name.

It's a free event, and one fan I spoke with told me they arrived at about 7 a.m. to ensure they got a great seat. They got to watch players warm up. Several signed autographs. Again, it's for fans.

Fans got to take a shot on the court after the game. Fans got to take pictures with players in the concourse. Fans got to smile and have hope again after a 19-win season, and they got to cheer as Haliburton was introduced.

That's why FanJam exists, and nothing shows that better than the performances that take place after the game.

Pacers rookies and first-year team staffers all grab a microphone and sing to the thousands of attendees. They dance, too – or at least attempt to. Even support staff that won't be in front of cheering fans very often get to entertain the masses for a few minutes.

On the player side, the three first-year performers were Braden Smith, Keba Keita, and Rienk Mast. Keita seemed very nervous, Smith less so and Mast not at all.

Keita stood in the middle of the court while "Party in the USA" played. Haliburton said that the rookies got to pick their own song, and that Miley Cyrus track was Keita's choice. He didn't know any of the words.

"I like to run a democracy. I like to allow the rookies to pick their song, just with my approval," he said.

Smith's hope was to sing "Tequila", though that plan was axed. Not enough words, Haliburton explained. He went last, singing after Mast confidently belted "I want you back".

The finale was Smith doing his best Ke$ha impression with "Die Young". It was all awful, in the best way. That's the entire point. Haliburton, as he does every year, asked the crowd to cheer for their favorite performer, suggesting that the loudest reception would determine the winner.

Just on merit, Mast should have taken the honor at that point. But – surprise! – the cheering is just for show. The true winner would be decided via a dance off. It was Dougie time.

That wasn't much better for any of the three players, but Smith separated himself in this portion of the proceedings. He took home the pride of being the best performer after an informal fan vote.

"I was excited. A little nervous. Glad it's over with," Smith said. He hid the nerves well and later admitted that he frequently sings in his care, usually Drake. "You've gotta just buy into it. I know I'm not a good singer anyways. I was like 'You know what, it's going to be me getting made fun of either way. So might as well just enjoy it'."

In past years, I've walked across to the other side of the court to get the best viewing angle of the post-game concert. This year, I opted to stay behind the scorers table. I wanted to see how the rest of the team reacted to their rookies dancing.

That was a great choice.

Oubre almost couldn't believe this was about to happen, turning to Haliburton before Damir Hasanbegovic (assistant massage therapist) was about to take the court for the first performance. "Do they really sing?" he asked with a beaming smile. He couldn't wait.

"It was all bad. Shout out to the guys for buying in," Oubre later said of his teammates when asked about their dancing. "It's all fun and games. Got to work on that rhythm though."

The roster's personality was obvious as they admired the performances. Keita was basically hiding on the bench before grabbing the mic, keeping to himself while nervous. Smith stood near his team but glanced at the ground a few times. The company kept him focused.

"What song you singing?" Slawson asked him.

Moments later, Mast took the court and the Jackson 5 melody began. The rookie started to dance, or at least do something close to dancing. T.J. McConnell smiled and turned to general manager Chad Buchanan.

"You taught him how to dance!" McConnell shouted.

A long line of Pacers put their arms around each other during assistant video coordinator Ryan Curran's rendition of "Sweet Caroline". Everyone knows that song. Even the Pacers couldn't help but get together and sway. James Johnson was incredibly animated, pointing in every direction as his go-to dance move.

You can see the connection. Those bonds make the team more than the sum of their parts and, in turn, endearing to fans. That's what this is all about.

Thank you for reading. The Pacers have one more training camp practice before a real preseason game against a different NBA team. Sign up to get more stories from all of their events and games.