New York Knicks guard Josh Hart stirred up laughs and debate during a recent episode of The Roommates Show by likening soccer giant Real Madrid to the Indiana Pacers.
The conversation unfolded as Hart, co-host Jalen Brunson, and newly signed teammate Guerschon Yabusele discussed European football and their favorite teams.
Hart, a longtime Chelsea supporter, defended the club’s recent track record after Yabusele poked fun at their lack of recent trophies.
“We just won Champions League in 2021,” Hart said, pointing out the club’s most recent success. Yabusele, a Real Madrid fan and former player of their basketball branch, countered by citing Madrid’s dominance in European competition.
That’s when Hart dropped the unexpected basketball reference: “Y’all like the Pacers. That’s what it is. Real Madrid and the Pacers.”
The comparison caught attention because of Indiana’s recent run to the 2025 NBA Finals, where they pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games.
Led by All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers made their deepest postseason run in 25 years before falling just short of a championship.
Hart’s comments seemed to highlight the perception that Real Madrid, like Indiana, finds ways to keep winning. Unlike Indiana, Madrid is one of the world’s richest clubs and tends to assemble star-studded lineups every year.
Indiana’s 2024–25 season included a 50-win campaign, playoff wins over Milwaukee, Cleveland, and New York, and a heartbreaking loss in the Finals—where Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, captured their 15th Champions League title in 2024, continuing a tradition of dominance on Europe’s biggest stage.
