Myles Turner Opens Up on Feeling More Valued by Bucks Than Pacers
Myles Turner’s return to Indiana turned emotional — but not for the reasons he’d hoped. When the Milwaukee Bucks center walked back into Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face his former team, the Indiana Pacers, he was met not with cheers, but with a chorus of boos that echoed through the arena. For a player who gave ten years of his career to the Pacers, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Turner admitted after the game that he had expected at least a warm welcome, a small acknowledgment of his years of service. Instead, he faced jeers from the moment his tribute video began to play. Every time he touched the ball, checked into the game, or made a play, the boos grew louder. “It was disheartening, man,” Turner said. “You give a decade of your life, your blood, sweat, and tears — you take pay cuts, you survive trade rumors — and sometimes it still shakes out this way.”
His decision to leave Indiana during free agency was purely business, he explained. The Pacers’ offer reportedly never exceeded three years or an average of $22 million annually. Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s front office showed him a level of respect — and financial commitment — that he felt had been missing in Indiana. “Go where you’re valued,” Turner said. “And I felt like Milwaukee’s front office and ownership valued me more than I was valued in Indiana. It’s not about the fans. This was a personal business decision.”
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Unfortunately, many Pacers fans didn’t see it that way. They felt betrayed, especially since his departure came right after Tyrese Haliburton’s season-ending injury and just weeks after the front office publicly declared Turner’s re-signing as a top priority.
Despite the noise, Turner tried to handle the situation with grace. Before tipoff, he greeted his former teammates and thanked the Pacers’ training staff for their support over the years. His family, seated courtside, shared hugs with familiar faces like Haliburton’s father. Even Pacers coach Rick Carlisle expressed disappointment that Turner wasn’t met with more appreciation. Bucks coach Doc Rivers also called the reaction “discouraging.”
Turner finished the night with nine points, seven rebounds, and five blocks — and most importantly, a win. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s buzzer-beating jumper sealed a 117-115 victory for the Bucks, giving Turner a satisfying ending to a tough emotional night.
Reflecting afterward, Turner spoke softly but firmly: “There’s a human element to this people don’t always understand. I grew up here — I came here at nineteen. So yeah, it hurts. But at the end of the day, it’s all love.”
It was a night of mixed emotions — pride, pain, and perhaps a bit of closure — for a player who gave his all to Indiana but found a new sense of value and belonging in Milwaukee.
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