In an unexpected twist blending professional basketball with fantasy sports confusion, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has reportedly submitted a fantasy basketball lineup that included zero real NBA players — instead populating his team with a mix of retired legends, obscure benchwarmers, and even a few players from the WNBA.
According to league insiders, Carlisle was attempting to join a last-minute fantasy league organized by assistant coaches and training staff when the panic of an expiring draft clock led to an “auto-draft disaster of epic proportions.”
“I swear I had Jokic in my queue,” Carlisle told reporters. “But somehow I ended up with Gheorghe Mureșan, Brian Scalabrine, and the 1996 version of Shawn Kemp.”
The Pacers organization released a brief statement confirming the incident, clarifying that Carlisle’s coaching responsibilities remain unaffected — though team management is reportedly concerned after discovering that he also used a waiver wire slot to pick up Space Jam’s Monstars forward Bupkus.
Fantasy Fallout
Sources close to the league say the incident caused a temporary glitch on ESPN Fantasy Basketball servers, as the system struggled to validate Carlisle’s roster. The coach allegedly tried to trade a “hypothetical healthy Zion” for a backup center from Lithuania currently playing in a second-tier EuroLeague.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton responded on social media, tweeting:
“Coach really out here trying to start Yao Ming at point guard. 😂”
A Growing Trend?
Experts warn Carlisle’s mix-up is not an isolated incident. With the rise of AI-generated players in fantasy simulations, many coaches and fans are accidentally drafting fictional stars with names like “Jordan Dunkman” and “LeThicc James.” Carlisle, however, may be the first to attempt starting five players who are technically not in the league — or even the right dimension.
As of press time, Carlisle’s team — now unofficially called the “Indianapolis Imaginaries” — sits dead last in the fantasy league, trailing a team managed by a 14-year-old ball boy named Trey.
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