Iowa State Fans Relentlessly Boo Pacers Rookie Braden Smith

The Indiana Pacers opened their preseason with the 123-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night,but one of the most entertaining storylines had nothing to do with the final score.

Playing at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, the Pacers were greeted by a raucous crowd eager to welcome Tyrese Haliburton back to his alma mater. However, the warm reception didn't extend to rookie guard Braden Smith.

The former Purdue star was relentlessly booed every time he touched the basketball, creating an unusual atmosphere for his first NBA preseason appearance.

Following the game, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle admitted he was puzzled by the treatment Smith received.

"Hats off to the Iowa State students. Unbelievable showing," Carlisle said. "I'm not sure why there was very high-level heckling. We were trying to figure it out the whole game."

Carlisle was particulary confused because Iowa State had defeated Purdue by 30 points last season, a game he attended in person.

"For the record, I was at the game at Purdue last year when Iowa State kicked Purdue's ass," Carlisle said. "I was there. I stayed for the whole thing. So, I'm trying to figure out why that would translate to that kind of heckling."

The Pacers coach eventually learned of one possible explanantion involving Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey.

"Somebody showed me a social media post during one of the timeouts that it was because Braden potentially took Lipsey's spot on the Pacers roster," Carlisle explained.

Haliburton, who received an overwhelmingly positive reception throughout his return to Ames, was equally surprised by the treatment of his rookie teammate.

"I'm still a little dumbfounded," Haliburton said. For lack of a better term, we beat the sh*t out of Purdue last year, so it ain't like he did anything crazy to us last year. I don't understand."

Despite the hostile environment, Haliburton came away impressed with Smith's performance and believes the rookie has the tools to become a productive NBA player.

"That's tough to play your first NBA game in a college road environment. How weird is that? But I thought he did a great job," Haliburton said. "He was tired as the game went on. He played a lot of minutes in that second half, but I thought he settled into the game really well."

Haliburton also praised Smith's passing ability and compared aspects of his game to veteran point guard T.J. McConnell.

"Braden's an unbelievable passer, has unbelievable feel for the game. That behind-the-back pass he had was really dope," Haliburton said. "He has a knack, like T.J., I've just being able to get baseline and kind of play there."

While Carlisle and Haliburton struggle to understand the crowds motivation, Smith appeared to enjoy the experience.

Braden Smith on his reception: pic.twitter.com/iWUtSXqJ8z
— Tony East (@TonyREast) October 8, 2026

Speaking with Tony East following the game, Smith acknowledge that hostile environments have always brought out his competitive side.

"I kinda love it," Smith said. "For me, my entire life, I've loved away games. I always loved those environments."

Like his coach and teammate, Smith couldn't quite understand why Iowa State fans were so determined to make him the villain.

"They came to our place last year and beat us by 30," Smith said. "If I had 30 and I had a good game, totally understand. I didn't even play that game, and we lost. So, I was like, why are they booing me? If anything, they should be cheering me on."

Smith even took the opportunity to throw a playful jab at Iowa State's fan base while defending the atmosphere at Mackey Arena.

"I loved Mackey home games, and our fan base is better than that, so them thinking 'boo' was gonna do anything as funny," Smith said. "But it's awesome. It's all fun and games, and it's a sign of respect, too."

For a rookie who spent four seasons competing in hostile Big Ten environments, the reception was nothing new. If anything, it gave Smith another opportunity to embrace the competitive atmosphere he has grown accustomed to throughout his basketball career.

What was supposed to be a celebratory homecoming for Haliburton unexpectedly became a hostile road-game experience for Indiana's rookie guard.

But judging by Smith's reaction, Iowa State fans might have enjoyed booing him more than he was bothered by it.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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