Friendly Bets Made Before NBA Finals Between Pacers, Thunder

Two destination marketing executives have entered into a friendly wager tied to the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, which started on Thursday night with a game-winning jumper by Tyrese Haliburton with 0.3 seconds left as the Pacers won Game 1, 111-110.

The wager is between Leonard Hoops, president and chief executive officer of Visit Indy, and Zac Craig, president of Visit Oklahoma City. If the Thunder win, Hoops will treat Craig to dinner at St. Elmo Steak House, a two-night stay at the JW Marriott Indianapolis and two club-level tickets to next season’s Thunder-Pacers game in Indianapolis.

If the Pacers win the series, Craig will treat Hoops to a two-night stay at The National in OKC, dinner for two at Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse and two floor seats to next season’s Thunder-Pacers game in Oklahoma City.

As well as the local DMOs, the two governors of the respective states made their own little wager.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun called out Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, promising “a big package of pork products from the Smoking Goose Meatery” if the Pacers lost to the Thunder. Stitt, in return, said he was “going to put on the line some of the best steaks in the world from right here in Oklahoma.”