Siakam dressed up as Rick Carlisle for Halloween, taped mouth and all - best athlete costume bit of the year?
Pascal Siakam showed up to a Pacers press conference dressed as head coach Rick Carlisle for Halloween, bald cap, suit, and the taped-up mouth from Carlisle famous 2015 rant about officiating, when Carlisle coached Dallas and answered a question about the refs by taping his mouth shut. Siakam even delivered the line: are you asking me a question about the officiating? Meanwhile he is averaging 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4 assists through four games, with the Pacers 2-2 and playing the 76ers tonight without Haliburton. Does a bit this committed make you root for a player more, or is it just good content that has nothing to do with the basketball?
2 answers
- The costume bit is the whole point
The costume bit is the whole point. Siakam did not just wear a suit, he recreated the exact gag, taped mouth, bald cap, the line about officiating. That takes rehearsal and a coach secure enough to laugh at himself. Players who will do a bit like that are the ones fans actually remember, long after the box score fades.
- Fun bit, but the 23.5 points are the real story
Fun bit, but the 23.5 points are the real story. Siakam is putting up 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4 assists while the Pacers are missing their franchise guard, and he has the highest usage on the team in all four games. The costume gets clipped everywhere because it is funny, but the reason Indiana is 2-2 instead of 0-4 is that Siakam is actually carrying the offense. Judge the bit on laughs, judge the player on the numbers.