The internet has a funny way of turning a sincere moment of prayer into a scene from The Exorcist. If you were anywhere near NBA Twitter during the 2025 NBA Finals, you definitely saw it. A video clip of Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam in a pregame huddle went absolutely nuclear.
It wasn't a dunk. It wasn't a crossover. It was just Pascal, head tilted back, with his eyes completely rolled into his skull.
The image was haunting. While the rest of the Pacers had their heads bowed in a quiet team prayer before Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Siakam looked like he was being possessed by a basketball demon—or perhaps he had just seen the future of the franchise. Social media, predictably, lost its collective mind. Memes flooded the feed with captions like "Sorcerer Siakam" and "The Power of Christ Compels You."
But behind the jokes about dark magic and Faustian bargains lies a surprisingly human (and slightly medical) explanation.
The Viral Moment: Pascal Siakam Eyes Rolled Back
It happened in the tunnel. The stakes couldn't have been higher for the Indiana Pacers. They were facing elimination, down 3-2 in the series against a relentless OKC squad led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In those final seconds before taking the court, teams often circle up to lock in.
The camera zoomed in on Siakam.
He wasn't just "locked in." He was looking toward the ceiling, but his eyelids hadn't quite followed orders. Only the whites of his eyes were visible. For a few seconds, he stayed frozen like that. Honestly, if you didn't know he was an All-Star forward, you'd think he was in the middle of a medical emergency or a spiritual awakening.
The Pacers went on to win that game, forcing a Game 7. Siakam played out of his mind, grabbing 13 rebounds and dropping 16 points. Naturally, fans credited the "Demon Eyes." They figured he had traded his soul for a mid-range jumper.
What Pascal Actually Said About It
After the game, once the dust had settled and the memes reached a fever pitch, teammate Myles Turner actually showed Siakam the clip. Pascal's reaction? He just laughed.
"They said I was a demon?" Siakam joked during a press conference shared by his production house, PS43 Productions.
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He clarified that the "possession" was actually just a weird physical quirk. Apparently, Pascal has a bit of a struggle with his own eyelids.
"When I try to close my eyes, I’m thinking that I’m closing ‘em but I’m not closing ‘em," Siakam explained. "Sometimes I have to remind myself [they're still open]."
It’s a bizarrely relatable problem. You think you're doing something—like blinking or closing your eyes for a nap—but your body just decides to do its own thing. He even admitted that it used to happen a lot more often. He sometimes has to use his hands to physically push his eyelids down to make sure they're actually shut.
Is It Medical or Just "Spiritual"?
While some fans were convinced he was summoning the ghost of James Naismith, doctors and sports analysts pointed toward a more mundane reality: extreme concentration mixed with a physical anomaly.
There is a condition called Bell's phenomenon, which is a normal defense reflex where the eyeballs roll upward when you try to close your eyes. In most people, the eyelids cover this up. If your eyelids stay slightly ajar—a condition known as nocturnal lagophthalmos—people get to see the "horror movie" version of your resting face.
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Siakam basically confirmed this is his reality. He's thinking, he's praying, and his eyes just drift north.
The "Demon Eyes" Performance
Whether it was supernatural or just a lack of eyelid control, something worked. The Pacers' run in 2025 was nothing short of miraculous. Following the "eyes rolled" incident, Siakam looked like the veteran leader Indiana paid for.
- He anchored a defense that looked shaky in the first three games.
- His chemistry with Tyrese Haliburton reached a new level.
- He brought a championship pedigree that the young Pacers roster desperately needed.
People love a good omen. In sports, we search for signs of "the zone." We talk about Kobe’s scowl or Jordan’s tongue. For a brief window in 2025, Pascal Siakam's white-out eyes became the symbol of a team that refused to die.
Why This Meme Stuck
NBA culture thrives on weirdness. We’ve had the LeBron "depression" stare and the MJ crying face. Pascal Siakam eyes rolled into his head fits right into that pantheon because it’s a mix of high-stakes intensity and accidental comedy.
The contrast was the key. You have a team praying—a moment of peace—and in the middle of it, you have a guy who looks like he’s about to levitate.
It also helped that Siakam leaned into it. He didn't get defensive. He didn't act like he was too cool for the internet's nonsense. He laughed at himself, demonstrated how he closes his eyes with his hands, and then went out and won a massive basketball game. That's how you handle a viral moment.
Moving Past the Meme
If you're a Pacers fan, you aren't worried about whether Pascal is a sorcerer. You're worried about his field goal percentage and his ability to guard the perimeter.
The eyes thing is a footnote, but it’s a fun one. It reminds us that these elite athletes, who seem like literal superheroes on the court, have weird little human quirks just like the rest of us. Some of us snore. Some of us talk in our sleep. Pascal Siakam just happens to look like a supernatural entity when he's trying to pray.
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Moving forward, keep an eye on the pregame huddle. You might see Pascal manually closing his eyelids or, if the spirit moves him again, giving us another viral masterpiece.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to stay on top of Pascal's "demon mode," follow the Pacers' official tunnel cam feeds. They usually catch these huddle moments long before they hit the broadcast. Also, check out the PS43 YouTube channel; Siakam is surprisingly transparent about his life off the court, and he often addresses these viral moments directly with his fans.