Baca: Pascal Siakam's NBA Finals Run Ends Disappointingly, But His Post-Finals News Conference Shines Light on His Mindset

Pascal Admits He Was in "Dark Place" in Toronto

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for reading AGGREGATOR where nearly 5,000 of you read my commentary on the NM State AD Search. That’s more views than I have subscribers free and paid! That means a lot and tells me the topic was not getting as much coverage in the way YOU wanted to hear it.

Now, there may be some that don’t agree with my assessment, namely those of you who think AD Moccia should have been gone for cause and/or those who feel that the AD Search SHOULD happen now.

But let me make a few things clear: First off, it’s no fun taking over the reins of someone’s job that was beloved by a lot of people. I have done it before, and you constantly get told, “Well, so and so did this thing THIS way…”

It’s the worst. Any of you in the workforce who experiences that understands that people like that will never be happy. Amber Burdge, if she remains the AD through all of this will have a mandate that NM State should continue down a certain path with her at the helm. If she doesn’t get the job and someone else does, which also leads to her leaving the school, not of her own free will, I have a problem with that, only because of the timing of everything.

PAC-12 just signed a media rights deal, plus they are adding Texas State, Louisiana Tech is leaving CUSA for the Sun Belt and the TV deal for our conference is coming up, which means this is ample time to explore all options for conferences and further growth of this brand.

While I believe Burdge has the tools for it from what I have seen and what others close to the situation has told me, the school is going to undergo a “lame duck” session until “the end of the summer” per the words from NM State for the AD to be selected and onboarded. That could have serious effects regarding the timing. We shall see though.

I just feel it all so indecisive, especially if we knew we were going to be here. I have had a few runs as a “leader” in my life, and I can tell you leading is only effective when the person up top is firm, decisive and punctual with their actions. I didn’t feel that on January 2nd and I didn’t feel that last week.

But stay tuned…

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Also, quick shoutout to those AGGREGATOR readers who have spotted me in the wild, the most recent being at the Farmer’s Market yesterday. Means a lot to be acknowledged, even though I was not expecting it.

Me taking up some of your time every time I write is a pretty strong relationship to have with someone you don’t know, and the writers that I read in this town and in Albuquerque where I grew up by and read the Journal did not have that with me as their reader. I think… no I know that’s why I am the way I am. :)

But I am thankful amidst the hot sun and the filling up on free samples I consumed yesterday, a reader told me he was a subscriber and I got to shake his hand. I appreciate you and all the readers of this publication. My love for writing is always here and at the end of the day, you folks decide with your time if this is any good, so thank you!

Here’s a photo of me from Saturday in the museum on Main Street in their cool art exhibit making a fool of myself. Photo Credit: My Wife.

I know throwing up gang signs isn’t a good look, haha… however, I didn’t post a photo of the artwork they tell you that you are not allowed to take, so I do respect authority and rules for a time….

Go to see the paintings of the cars and motorcycles though. You will be impressed by the art, even if you aren’t into art. I highly recommend this free exhibit.

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Finally. It’s that time again. Las Cruces Bulletin’s Best for 2026 is nominating people!

True Story: I was at Rudy’s BBQ on Friday, because I scored $55 of food for $8 (I don’t share my secrets to how I live my life frugally) and I saw that they won Best BBQ Joint from the Bulletin last year and I saw the award presented by the LCB and it was a sheet of paper inside an 8x10 frame from Walmart that you buy for 3 for $6. How do I know those frames are them? I have over 30 of them in my house.

What I find even funnier is there apparently are “scammers” selling bootleg award swag for Bulletin’s Best so much so that there is a warning on the Bulletin’s website.

So I am assuming that I have to buy the $2 frame with a sheet of paper from them at a premium if I win? Nah, man. No thank you. I will create my own bootleg merchandise to gift me… Only if I win. :)

NONETHELESS, SHOCK THE SYSTEM, AND NOMINATE AGGREGATOR IN A COUPLE OF CATEGORIES.

Go to this page and then go to Arts and Entertainment and Community

Then in Arts, Go to Local Author

Nominate me in the “Don’t See Your Favorite?”
James Baca

My friend Rus Bradburd is the morning line favorite with his book, “Big Time” that I will be talking about in a couple days.

But of course Rus, like me, is a competitor. :)

My Book BROKE AF is on Amazon today!

Also… Newspaper Columnist, which I finished 2nd on last year. The dude who won it is no longer going to win it, nor is he eligible, so now I have a better chance.

Type in “James Baca” in that box

And then Website:

TYPE IN “AGGREGATOR” all caps. You can put the url if you want.

Should be noted I had a few people nominate me already and my name mysteriously still doesn’t appear. I don’t know why that is, but be the voice of the people and make sure I get on the ballot and win my $2 picture frame that I would have to pay $40 for (probably).

All kidding aside… THANK YOU!

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One more final note before we get to commentary:

Two players that the Aggies played against got drafted into the NBA last week

Tre Johnson had 9 points and 4 assists against the Aggies in a 91-67 win for Texas in Austin last December, right after the Aggies win at UNM. Wasn’t his best showing, but he was the best player on the court, and the SEC Star was drafted #6 to the Washington Wizards, and he will be a cornerstone for their umpteenth reboot in DC.

Taelon Peter is someone you heard about often from me when Liberty played NM State. The D2 transfer from Arkansas Tech was the 6th man of the year in CUSA, but he easily could have been a starter for the Flames. He has 20 points against us here in Cruces on February 13th, and really, he was my favorite opponent of NM State’s to watch in person.

Who knew a backup from Liberty would get drafted? 54th to the Eastern Conference champs where he will be in NBA Summer League next week and my opinion, will have every chance to make a team to play next year with Pascal Siakam…

Which leads me to the reason we are here… Sorry about the long intro for a short column. :)

BACA: Pascal Spells Out How He Felt in Pacers Loss Last Week And Why We Should Hear It

One week out, we still feel the hurt… not just of the Pacers heartbreaking Game 7 in the Finals loss to OKC, but of the Achilles tear Tyrese Haliburton had in the first quarter.

My goodness when I saw him launch in real time and slip, I knew he hurt his achilles. I think all sportsheads knew that, but I have hurt my achilles and it was painful as heck.

I told my wife as he slipped and the camera turned away from the fast break on the other end, “Oh my god, He blew his leg out. He’s out for the season.” I really said that. I knew it.

Pascal Siakam, the NM State Legend knew it. The Pacers fans, wanting a title so bad they could taste it, knew it. The jig was up. This season was lost and next season as well.

But Pascal Siakam, 16 months removed from a trade from Toronto, was trying to fire up his teammates after the injury, being that vocal leader that honestly, we don’t really expect from him. We know he is good. We know he’s one of the best, but the team is ostensibly Haliburton’s team.

He’s one of the older guys now and he’s been there before, so he tried and he tried, but Indiana just could not overcome it.

But what really struck me in his post game press conference told me a lot more about him than I think most people know, and frankly, they needed to know!

Siakam in the first minute talks about Tyrese Haliburton and how much “that kid” which positions Pascal as a leader and despite only having 6 years or so on him, shows the “elder statesman” mentality he has in caring for his teammate and knowing the mental stress of what his buddy went through. That was eye opening.

He then waxes poetic about how playing with Tyrese made it fun for me and then Pascal says, “A couple years ago…Basketball was…Dark for me, and not a lot of fun…”

That upset me for Pascal, mainly because of what I hear from people here regarding his lack of effort to break bread with NM State, or at least how that is perceived.

You got to understand that the Quid Pro Quo nature of sports fandom. “I like you, we supported you, so give me an autograph, take a photo with me. You won a title before, why can’t you win another one now?”

I don’t care how much money you make, to hear negativity all the time, even with a man who exudes joy like Pascal Siakam does at least externally, I totally understand. A lot of his anger and resentment in Toronto stemmed from a rebuild that was going bad, which led Masai Ujiri, one of his closest mentors in the pros as they are both of African descent with heavy roots on the continent, to be fired this week. Their relationship reportedly went from positive to Ujiri calling him selfish at one point, where Pascal Siakam felt hurt by that.

Couple that with his love/hate relationship with Nick Nurse, the former coach who won the 2019 title with him and Kawhi Leonard, which led to a one game suspension of Pascal a couple years ago for conduct detrimental to the team, which later led to a trade of him to Indiana several months later.

There were fractures in that relationship, and Siakam, who had the most popular NBA jersey in that country, had to leave his adopted country in order to find happiness again in his basketball career, which he did in the last couple years in Indiana.

Now, some have told me who visit Indiana that NM fandom has a lot of parallels to the basketball rich state, with people loving the sport, but loving who plays the sport for them.

I think basketball is currency and fandom is transactional, but the state, much like NM State fans, and yes UNM fans grow to care and admire the people in their area. That culture is cultivated through years of practicing what these two states preach.

For as awesome as people say Toronto is, it’s basically Canadian NYC, where there are so many people in the metro area, that it’s transactional only, and not emotional. Someone like Pascal needs to feel that emotional bond, and it was lost in Toronto.

It was cultivated here in Las Cruces, and rejuvenated in Indiana after developing so well in Cameroon.

He talks about finding his joy again in the game, and that is where I feel NM State fans need to get one thing clear. There is NO DOUBT that he feels joy about this place the way he did at Toronto (At first) and now at Indiana. But we got to respect one thing: There are always people wanting more, and no matter the athlete, or how much money they make, don’t owe you everything or anything for that matter.

I do feel that recent social media posts about Pascal and NM State have become very “Transactional” trying to piggyback off his renaissance for a few extra bucks. I do feel if Pascal got wind of things like that happening here, he would lose some joy. Embrace the champion, embrace the Aggie legend, and don’t try to monopolize dollars and cents off of people’s memories.

Now, ok, Mr. Pot James Baca, how dare you call kettle black? You are writing about Pascal Siakam here and yes, you sell subscriptions and yes, you want people to read. Why are you any different?

There’s a difference between using him to make money for your business and to only want things from him than it is to understand your readership and report on a newsworthy person from your area.

Some of the local coverage of Pascal did embrace the NM State connection, and some of them were blatant means of piggybacking off of the fact that he came here in order to drive views for a website that had advertisers.

As mentioned, I think the Pascal/NM State relationship is there but fragile, and I think after this run in June, it’s stronger, because if you are an 18 year old incoming freshman at NM State, you were in 2nd or 3rd grade when Pascal last stepped foot on the Pan Am floor.

History has a weird way of not resonating with the youth of today, and I really genuinely think the generation before them, which includes people my age, don’t either. Sports fans love stats, and memories of games and players past, but people my age need to do a better job at being people who inform others of the historic significance of a player like Siakam coming through here instead of just being a casual bandwagon fan who only waxes poetic about the man when he makes national news.

If an 18 year old kid sees Pascal Siakam in Las Cruces today, it will be “Hey, that guy is in the NBA!” then they will go ask for a selfie, post it online and then wax poetic about the NBA star they didn’t know by name at first and call him Aggies legend for clout even though they could not tell you one thing about his time here.

I feel people my age, which includes sportswriters and some my age in local TV and radio do that too. They aren’t storytellers of history. They are fanboys who would take the exact same photo and ask for an autograph though they have a media badge.

That’s where Pascal’s relationship can get transactional and could make someone be in a dark place.

While I write this commentary about an NBA star that I did in fact see play 30 times or so in his time here, I write it as someone looking to preserve my memory of Siakam, the Aggies legend who will be forever remembered here, and my thoughts will not be dictated by “I shook his hand once!”

Note: I didn’t actually shake his hand, and if I did, that would be such an aside from what I wanted to tell that I never would mention it.

So, fans of Pascal, both Aggies fans and NBA fans who find this. Listen to his words. He went in a dark place with a game that will bring him almost half a billion dollars in this life.

While some will say soft, others will see it as a beckon call for understanding that our future relationship with Pascal Siakam NEEDS to be more ceremonial at first, and ease off the “what can he do for us now?” mentality.

As a person in sales who can spot someone else in sales from a mile away before they sell me something, a quick reminder that NBA players are around that all the time and they have the same radar. Him telling us he didn’t love the game that brought him everything should be a sign let’s just love him like we should with no strings attached.

Watch the video and see how he gets emotional for a split second even though he puts on a front and you will understand what I mean. Aggies fans, embrace the man!

James

Ok, we are going to be so back in the coming days with NM State football previews, basketball news, and so much more. Subscribers, look for exclusive content when the new “academic year” is here. I will give you my all, and have a good time doing it.

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James Baca - AGGREGATOR