You wouldn’t expect to see many celebrities at a Monday night Pacers game in Indianapolis, but there they were, with the unlikely duo of Will Ferrell and 50 Cent (who recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’) taking in the action at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Indiana would fall 147-143 to the Sixers in a game that had scoreboard operators gasping for air. Ferrell, who was spotted at a Walmart in nearby Beech Grove over the weekend (he’s apparently shooting a “road trip” documentary), was granted court access before the game, proving Jackie Moon hasn’t lost his touch from beyond the arc.
While making the pregame rounds, the comedian of Semi Pro and Talladega Nights fame paid the Pacers a locker-room visit, exchanging pleasantries with coach Rick Carlisle while trying to tempt Aaron Nesmith into a glass of liquid courage.
Ferrell displayed plenty of school spirit as a Spartans cheerleader on SNL (“My name is Craig, I did drugs once”), a trait that would come in handy during Monday night’s game, giving off “pep rally” vibes with his manic energy on the microphone.
Ferrell also got a chance to mingle with 50 Cent, who introduced the Old School actor to fans by wheeling him out onto the court in an Indy car painted Pacers gold and blue. The rapper would later settle into his courtside seat, joining the likes of NFL legend Reggie Wayne and current Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
Though his cheerleading efforts were wasted in a losing effort, dropping Indiana to 2-7 in its last nine home games, Ferrell was at least treated to brilliant individual performances by James Harden (14 points, nine rebounds and 20 assists), Joel Embiid (game-high 42 points on 19-of-19 free-throw attempts and Tyrese Haliburton, the latter becoming the first player in franchise history to log 40 points and 15 assists in a single game.
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