When the Pacers and Knicks tipped off the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, no one was more conflicted than Roni Toppin.
That's because she has a son on both teams. Obi Toppin is a key part of the Pacers' playoff rotation, while his younger brother Jacob is a rookie with the Knicks.
Roni was decked out from head to toe in custom gear for Game 1, wearing a custom sweatshirt that featured a hybrid Pacers/Knicks logo with both her sons' names. Her right shoe was a custom Nike with an illustration of Obi's face on the outside and a Pacers logo on the top of the shoe. Her left shoe featured the same design but with Jacob's face and the Knicks logo.
"So overwhelming," Roni said of her emotions prior to Game 1. "It’s amazing, though. I love it.
"It’s surreal, you know? My two boys are in the NBA. How can you ask for anything more?"
The series tipping off at Madison Square Garden was extra special for the Toppin family. The Toppin brothers were born in Brooklyn and eventually settled in Ossining in Westchester County. Obi was drafted by the hometown Knicks in 2020 and spent three seasons in New York before being traded to Indiana last summer. Jacob joined the Knicks as an undrafted rookie just after Obi left, eventually signing a two-way contract with the team.
For the first round of the playoffs, Roni had to keep tabs on two different series. She stayed in New York for the first two games of the Knicks' series with Philadelphia, then flew out to Indianapolis to see the Pacers host the Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Games 3 and 4.
Now that the two teams are facing off, Roni plans to attend every game of the series. Though she's conflicted over who she wants to win, she's trying to see the bright side of the situation.
"I’m definitely going to the Eastern Conference Finals, right?" Roni said. "That’s a good thing."
Obi enjoyed some success over his three years with the Knicks and went to the Eastern Conference Semifinals a year ago, but he's enjoyed a breakout season in his first year in Indiana. He played in all 82 games this season, setting career highs in scoring average (10.3 points per game), field goal percentage (.573), and 3-point percentage (.403).
A high-flying and hyper-athletic forward, the elder Toppin brother has been an ideal fit in Indiana's up-tempo offensive system. His upbeat personality has also fit in really well in a young Pacers locker room and his willingness to do whatever is asked (like moving to a bench role after the acquisition of Pascal Siakam) has earned plenty of respect from his teammates and the coaching staff.
"I believe that his three years here really prepared him to go to a new situation and take on greater responsibility," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told the New York media ahead of Game 1. "He learned a lot about hard play and accountability here. And when he walked in the door (in Indiana), he was no-nonsense, ‘Hey, tell me what I need to do, what I need to work on.’ And the things that we’ve talked to him about he’s worked extremely hard on. He’s become a very important player for us."
In Roni's mind, it's been a perfect fit.
"I feel like they’re all friends with each other," she said of the Pacers locker room. "The camaraderie is different. They’re peers, they all get along so well. And he’s comfortable on the court. When he was here, he knew that he was always behind (Knicks All-Star forward) Julius (Randle). Julius was the best player and the star of the team.
"He feels more free playing in Indy. There’s nothing holding him back. He’s comfortable on the court, he flies around. He loves it."
Obi has played a significant role so far in the playoffs, scoring in double figures off the bench in his last five games. He scored a team-high 21 points as the Pacers closed out the Bucks in Game 6 on Thursday night, then followed that up with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, six rebounds, and three assists on Monday in Game 1 against the Knicks.
Obi's confidence was on full display late in the third quarter of Game 1, when a T.J. McConnell steal sprung a fastbreak that saw him streaking down the court for an uncontested basket to put the Pacers up seven. Ever the showman, he opted to go between the legs for the dunk, reminding Knicks fans of his 2022 Slam Dunk Contest title.
Jacob, meanwhile, spent the majority of the season playing for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League. He averaged 17.8 points and 7.9 rebounds in 42 games in the G League and also appeared in nine NBA contests with the Knicks.
He lives just a quarter-mile from his mother and Obi's familiarity with the Knicks roster and organization helped him assimilate into the league.
One of the highlights for the season came at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, where Jacob competed in the Dunk Contest and jumped over Obi for his first dunk. Roni and the rest of the family flew out for that moment.
Attention is on the family once again with this series. Roni said she's been inundated with tickets requests from friends and colleagues during the playoffs, but has had to tell them all no. The Toppin family had a large contingent at Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.
As a two-way player, Jacob isn't eligible to play in the playoffs, though he is still practicing and traveling with the Knicks and cheering them on from the bench. That means the majority of Roni's in-game anxiety is related to Obi's performance.
Based on how he's been playing lately, Obi seems to be handling the pressures of the postseason just fine.
"I don’t talk to him about it," Roni said. "I don’t want to give him any anxiety. I’m trying to hold on to all of it. They know I’m nervous, they know I’m anxious. Me talking to them about it, I don’t want to give that vibe to them."
Jacob turns 24 on Wednesday, so Roni said she will likely wear his gear for his birthday, but she has more custom outfits for this weekend when the series shifts to Indianapolis.
Roni expects a raucous crowd for Games 3 and 4. She was blown away by the environment against the Bucks, terming the atmosphere "insane."
Few things get the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd more hyped than Obi in the open court, rising up for another highlight-reel dunk. If and when that happens, no one will be cheering louder than Roni Toppin.
"I’m so excited," Roni said. "I’m so proud of him. He’s doing so well. He deserves to be on the court."