Myles Turner Had Funny Line About Pacers Fans' Thoughts on Him Leaving for Bucks

Myles Turner had a funny comment about Pacers fans' reactions to him leaving for the Bucks.
Former Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) celebrates a made basket during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Former Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) celebrates a made basket during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

In one of the most surprising moves of the NBA offseason so far, center Myles Turner departed the Indiana Pacers in free agency for the Milwaukee Bucks, signing a four-year, $107million deal.

Turner was the longest-tenured member of the Pacers, who just advanced to the NBA Finals this past season. He had been a core member of Indiana for a decade, only to abruptly depart shortly after their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Finals.

Turner spoke out on his decision to leave for the Bucks this week, saying that he went to Milwaukee for the chance to "stay competitive."

"For me, ultimately it was about just staying competitive," Turner said, via ESPN's Michael C. Wright. "Two years ago, we got to the conference finals. Obviously, last year we got to the finals. Being a big part of winning basketball just changed my entire perspective on this league. I saw a chance to remain competitive here."

The following day, Turner stopped by the broadcast during the Bucks' summer league game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. When he was asked what he expects when he returns to Indiana for the first time, Turner said he doesn't know what to expect and also joked, "Even my time there [in Indy], there was a lot of people that wanted me off the team and now they got what they wanted and now they're complaining still."

In a more sincere message, Turner did thank the Indy fans for their support in a lengthy post earlier this week. Ultimately, Turner thinks he made the best decision for him and believes that it will only make the Eastern Conference more fun going forward.


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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.