Myers Turner: I ve written this letter for ten years

. The truth is: Even if I ended the season in that way, that experience really lifted me back up. I didn’t exaggerate it, it made me fall in love with basketball again, and it made me rediscover many of the beauty in this game that I once took for granted. For example, a 48-minute NBA game, an 82-game regular season, and a 7-game playoff series, they are like complex puzzles, or a huge Lego project, which requires us to think step by step and seriously in order to make progress. But when we reach a certain level, all this is no longer painful effort, but pure happiness.

Perhaps I also agree with the statement of "moral victory" to some extent. Because when I started the new season, my mentality changed a lot. This is the first time in my first few seasons of my career that my mindset has gone from “I have to do this” to “I can do this”. This is a mentality of expectation for the future, which makes me full of hope for the new season.

In 2021, I asked desperately in my diary: "Is this even worth it??" Now, the answer is very clear, that is: Yes, it is all worth it.

It is all worth it because of the deep relationship I have established with you here. A large part of the reason why I spent the 10 years with the Indiana Pacers has made me so satisfied is that I can look back on the journey from an emotional level between people. Whenever I think of my time at the Pacers, what comes to mind is not only the teammates and coaches on the court, but also the fans who have been with me since my rookie season. From the fanatical shouts in the Turner neighborhood to every corner of the Gainbridge Arena, I have witnessed the growth of so many people - those babies who were still in their parents' arms in 2015 are now middle school students carrying schoolbags; the once young middle school students have now stepped onto the university campus; and the college students of that time have also begun to take their children to watch the game. We accompanied each other through the ups and downs of life. I don’t know if watching the Pacers’ game can solve everyone’s worries, but for me, every time I see the familiar faces in the stands, a warm current surges in my heart, telling myself: “They are still here, I am still here, we are all persisting for love.”

All this is worth it because of the basketball legend Indiana is writing. We are not only a team that has entered the playoffs for two consecutive years, but also closely linked to the city's basketball bloodline. When Caitlyn Clarke, Kelsey Mitchell and Aria Boston led the WNBA fanatics to a storm, Indiana became one of the few cities that had top men's and women's basketball teams and had always been enthusiastic about fans. Here, basketball is no longer just a sport, it incorporates the pulse of the city, making Indianapolis well-deservedly the capital of basketball. We use every game and every struggle to let the whole world see the love and power of this city.

It is all worth it because of the group of brothers who fight side by side. Andrew Nemhard spared no effort to defend the opponent's core; Aaron Nesmith transformed at an astonishing speed and became a trustworthy scorer at any time; T.J. McConnell made his opponent hate and respect, and if he was in the enemy team, I would probably grit my teeth - fortunately he is our "secret weapon"; Ben Mathering scored fearlessly at the age of 22, returning to the arena with the pain of a torn rotator cuff; Obie Topin was low in New York But in Indiana, we proved ourselves with all-match dunks that shocked the whole game again and again; Thomas Bryant brought championship experience and ignited the entire locker room with enthusiasm; there were also budding stars such as Jacob Walker and Ben Shepard, and veteran James Johnson used his experience to unite the team... We don't have the halo of superstars, but we have something more precious than talent - everyone knows their role and is willing to sacrifice everything for the team. This "role clarity" makes us a true teacher of steel.

All this is worth it because those doubts and challenges have become our fuel instead. At this moment, my "enemy list" lists all the competitors in the East and West, the teams that harshly spoke to us in the first round, the experts who once looked down on us, those who ignored Coach Carlisle's coaching talent, and even every opponent who is about to face the fanatics. The roster may be longer as the season progresses, but I have never looked forward to it so much - because these "enemy" are the driving force behind us to prove ourselves. We do not bow to anyone, and use games and victory after victory, and break through the doubts.

It's all worth it, because I still love basketball, as hot as before. The Pacers gave a "weird teenager" from Bedford, Texas - the boy who felt lonely in high school for being unique and named "the most disappointing player" in college, found his place here. I am grateful for the resilience that I have tempered in difficulties and learned to be my own light; I am grateful for always sticking to my original aspiration and not letting the outside noise shake my beliefs; I am even more grateful for everyone and everything I met in this city, which makes me understand that basketball is not only a competition, but also an echo of life.

In Indiana, basketball is no longer just a sport, it is faith, it is home. Tomorrow night's competition, we will set out again with ten years of accumulation and love. No matter what the result is, I know that every step along the way counts.

—Miles