The Indiana Pacers suffered the loss of Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
And then they endured the devastating feeling of losing a shot at the championship to the young and powerful Oklahoma City Thunder.
As Pacers backup point guard TJ McConnell left the court in tears, he was accompanied by Karen Atkeson, Pacers Vice President of Player Relations, who tried to comfort him as they walked through the tunnel.
An ESPN cameraperson, who was doing their job and trying to capture the moment, got a little too close and Atkeson let them know about it.
“Stop,” she said as she waved her hand to the camera. “Stop.”
McConnell, who had been brilliant for much of the postseason and knew he would have an expanded role once Haliburton went down, had a rough night in the game, finishing with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 turnovers while facing tremendous defensive pressure from the Thunder.
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.