We Caught Up With the Viral Pacers Couple—Here’s What They’d Like the Internet to Know

What the f--- are you talking about?

By now, just about everyone with a social media account has seen the 20-second viral clip of a couple, donned in full Pacers garb, engaging in an animated back-and-forth during the third quarter of Indiana’s 123–94 blowout win over the Nets on Thursday night at Barclays Center.

Coming out of a commercial break on the Pacers’ FanDuel Sports Network broadcast, longtime play-by-play announcer Chris Denari was applauding the impressive number of Indiana fans in attendance on the road in Brooklyn. The cameras panned over to a couple of those fans in Grace and Michael, who were deeply invested in a conversation.

As Denari lauded the Indiana faithful over the airwaves, Michael—who had no idea the television cameras were on him—was in the middle of making a long point. While he spoke, Grace looked on toward the court taking every word in, only to turn to Michael and ask, “What the f--- are you talking about?”

Within the hour, that moment had gone platinum on social media. As of Saturday morning, a clip posted by On SI’s Alex Golden on X (formerly Twitter) has collected over 17.2 million views. Just about every big sports brand has posted the moment to their accounts, and the memes continue to roll in.

IM CRYINGGGGGGGG I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND THIS IS JUST HOW WE TALK!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/V9yjPwAP43
— Grace (@gracecamille_) April 10, 2026

So, what the f--- was Michael talking about, anyway?

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Michael said they were having a conversation that stemmed from a recent New York Times podcast with Ben Sasse, the former Nebraska senator and University of Florida president who announced last December that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Among the many topics discussed on that podcast was the future of liberal arts colleges.

“We were talking about the academic rigor of a liberal arts education, and essentially how it can be updated for the current economic status and job market,” Michael said.

(It is worth noting that at the time of their conversation, the Pacers were up by 22 points in the third quarter in a matchup between teams with 19 and 20 wins. This is what the tanking epidemic is doing to your fans, Adam Silver.)

“Even saying that out loud, I can hear you yawning through the phone,” Grace told SI. ” … The thing is, Michael and I have been together for four years—wonderful, happy years. But that’s just what we do. We both just talk. He’s frighteningly smart. So what everyone witnessed was me listening to his well-articulated thoughts and responding with what you saw, which was ‘What the f--- are you talking about?’

“I think that was probably to kill time while I thought of a rebuttal. Because that’s sometimes what you have to do. Sometimes you ad hominem, sometimes you just raise your voice, and other times you actually already have something to say. I think that I did a mix of the two while I sorted out my thoughts. That’s just how we always talk, and it’s fun, and we’re always just doing that. That’s it. It’s so boring.”

While their conversation probably wasn’t as spicy as many initially thought online, the clip itself still will have its place in internet lore. It’s another entry into the growing family of Guy Overexplains Something to Uninterested Girl memes we’ve seen over the last decade. But in this case—unlike those other memes—Grace was invested in the conversation, and Michael was fully open to the feedback he received, which made the clip come off as a fiery yet loving exchange between a longtime couple. Which it was, indeed.

“I’m glad they showed that exact moment versus probably 15 seconds later when he’s staring off into the distance and I’m the shrill, annoying person,” Grace joked. “This is received very well. … Everyone has been very kind because everyone can relate to being an over-eager sports fan talking to their girl who doesn't really care that much, maybe. It's a very relatable moment for many.”

Grace and Michael being in attendance at all Thursday night was a last-minute decision. Michael, a passionate Pacers fan who made sure to point out Indiana’s disappointing season was a result of injuries and not deliberate tanking, usually tries to attend games whenever the team is visiting New York. He found tickets online at a good price and was initially going to attend the game with a friend, but when that friend backed out, Grace was in.

A subway ride and $70 in far-too-pricy concessions later, the two were having an enjoyable and normal night out in Brooklyn. That is, until those FanDuel Sports Network cameras found them in their seats.

“I have people texting me from high school that I haven't talked to since I graduated being like, ‘Was that you?’ It was crazy,” Michael said. “I didn’t notice until I got on the train and I had like 15 text messages, and it's only gotten worse since then.”

The reaction to Grace and Michael has been largely positive across the internet, save for the expected dosage of online trolls. But there were a few things Michael wanted to address: No, Reddit users, they were not planted at Barclays Center by SNL for a skit later Saturday night. And no, the Pacers sweater he wore Thursday night is not a knockoff from DHgate, the wholesale site that many of this article’s readers probably used to buy a Reggie Miller jersey for $20 during college.

“Otherwise, I really appreciate that everyone was reminding me that I have a gorgeous, gorgeous girlfriend who is very, very supportive,” Michael said.

this is so romantic it’s crazy https://t.co/Cs0ieFWBIN
— helmet girl (@sbodrojan) April 10, 2026

“It just seemed to fall right in the nexus,” Grace said of their viral moment. “It was right at the intersection of like, ‘Oh, that girl is a queen,’ and, ‘Dudes rock,’ which is a good place to be. There were a few random, ‘Oh, she's a b----,’ or, actual mean ones about [Michael], but that's very easy to disregard. We had a really fun time. We always have a fun time together. That's just what we look like. All of our friends texted us and said, ‘I know exactly what that sounded like. We've seen you guys just going at it like that and rolled our eyes and just said, ‘O.K., we'll let them finish.’ Like, that’s just what happens.”

As for the lasting message they’d like the internet to know? Michael handled this one:

“Go Pacers. The Knicks suck.”

More NBA from Sports Illustrated