Aaron Nesmith
I met Aaron Nesmith late in the summer of 2024. At a young age, his name has already been cemented in the Indiana Pacers’ history books. He just finished playing a pivotal role in the team’s Eastern Conference Semifinals victory over the New York Knicks, leading Indiana to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in a decade.
Our paths crossed through mutual friends from his college days as a student-athlete at Vanderbilt. Before we headed to a show at The Surf Lodge, we had a few drinks before the show to save some money. Just because he is making millions as a professional athlete doesn’t mean he is going to be irresponsible with his spending now. This I noticed and admired on his part. I asked him if he was down for a quick game of billiards. His response as a competitive person would say "Let's run it."
Still thinking about the Knicks series loss, I couldn’t resist bringing it up as I broke the rack to start our game. For me, basketball isn’t just a sport, it’s in my blood. Both of my parents were born and raised in Rockaway Beach, Queens, a basketball hotbed. So, finding myself in this moment, playing pool and talking hoops with an NBA player who just lit up my hometown team in the playoffs? It was surreal.
But I kept it cool. Over the summer, I had already worked with professionals in music, sports, and entertainment, and I had learned that the best way to connect with was to treat them as I would with anyone else. Aaron picked up on that energy immediately, and we clicked right away.
Knowing his journey, I asked him, "What was it like making your playoff debut at just 21 years old, in TD Garden, playing for one of the most legendary franchises in all of sports?”Aaron’s reaction? He was genuinely impressed by the question. He could tell I had ball knowledge. But what he didn’t know was that I had an even deeper connection to his experience. Someone from my neighboring hometown of, Long Beach, New York, had gone through almost the exact same thing, Charlie McAvoy. At just 19 years old, McAvoy made his playoff debut for the Boston Bruins in TD Garden. Two years younger than Aaron, but the same pressure, the same city, the same legendary expectations. I told Aaron that if we had met earlier, I would have had Charlie talk to him before his playoff debut.
Not that he needed it. Aaron played his minutes fearlessly and delivered. He stepped onto that stage like he belonged. So I followed up with another question: "How did that experience help you handle playing in the world’s greatest arena for Game 7, the first Game 7 in that building in 30 years!" Again, I caught his attention. He leaned in, nodded, and answered: "To me, it felt as though the teams playing were the only ones in the building." Think about that. Madison Square Garden, with one of the most passionate fan bases in sports, screaming everything imaginable to try and break you down. Mind you this is New York, those words probably aren’t coming with much respect. And yet, he was so locked in that it felt like just another game. Calm. Cool. Poised. That’s the guy you want on your team when everything is on the line.
A few minutes later, he sunk the winning shot in our pool game. I looked at him and told him straight up, "From our conversation alone, I can tell you have the same X-factor that Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose held, fearlessness." Aaron dapped me up and said, "That’s real. And I respect the confidence you walk & talk with." Hearing that from someone who sits in the exact position I once dreamed of? That moment was priceless & another flame to the fuel that I was getting closer and closer to my dreams. We went on to celebrate Labor Day Weekend at a 50 Cent show, and I made sure to help him enjoy his well-earned offseason.
Unfortunately, Aaron hit a roadblock early in the next season, diagnosed with a left ankle sprain on November 1st. A year before his injury, I had gone through my own battle, I had to undergo surgery on my torn labrum and rotator cuff in my left shoulder. My first real injury, first real surgery, first real rehab grind. It was brutal. I told Aaron about my experience and made it a point to check in on his recovery every week. Two months later, he returned to the lineup, and the Pacers went 10-4 after his comeback. He didn’t just bounce back, he leveled up. Just recently on March 2nd, 2025, Aaron put up a career-high performance of 27 points in a win over the Chicago Bulls. From injury to comeback, from setback to career high, that’s what makes an athlete special. That’s what makes Aaron Nesmith different.
Aaron’s journey is the perfect example of the intangibles: confidence, poise, and fearlessness. It is what separates the good players from great ones. At just 25 years old, he has already played in 37 career playoff games: 20 with the Boston Celtics, 17 with the Indiana Pacers. Aaron gears up for another competitive playoff season ahead where he will look to bring Indiana its first NBA Championship in the almost 50 year history of the organization in the league!
