The 11th Team Curse: Delon Wright's Pacers Debut
INDIANAPOLIS — October 11, 2025
The Indiana Pacers' preseason victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves (135-134 in overtime) should have been a nice, quiet entry into the season. Instead, it became a dramatic scene straight out of a boxing ring, featuring veteran guard Delon Wright's highly unfortunate debut.
Just four minutes into his first game as a Pacer—marking his eleventh team in his eleventh NBA season—Wright suffered a brutal head injury that instantly stalled his push for a rotation spot.
With 46 seconds left in the second quarter, the injury was fast and nasty. As Wright dribbled near midcourt, Minnesota’s Jaylen Clark came sprinting in from the blind side for a steal attempt. The two guards collided heads, sending Wright reeling. He took the brunt of the impact and appeared to momentarily lose consciousness, unable to brace himself as his head then smacked the hardwood floor.
Wright stayed down for several minutes while the training staff attended to him. When he was finally helped up and escorted off the court, the damage was visible: a sizable gash above his right eye with blood running down his face. Wright recorded two points in his brief, but memorable, four-minute appearance and was immediately ruled out for the rest of the night with a head injury. Clark also left the game with neck spasms, a reminder of the force involved.
Despite the grim exit, Wright proved he has the veteran humor to handle adversity. Shortly after the game, he took to social media and posted a screenshot from the classic 1995 comedy Friday featuring Chris Tucker’s famous line, "You got knocked the f*** out!" alongside the caption, "Damn lol."
That lighthearted response is likely the only silver lining for a Pacers team desperate for guard help. Wright was brought in on a training camp contract specifically to compete for minutes with star point guard Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for a significant portion of the season due to an Achilles injury suffered in the NBA Finals.
A standout from Utah, where he won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's best point guard in his final season, the 33-year-old Wright has carved out a decade-long career as a reliable backup guard, averaging 6.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game. The Pacers are hoping that Wright's head injury is short-term, because his brief (and bloody) debut proved he's willing to put his body on the line to lock down a roster spot.
Given that he's competing for a rotation spot while Haliburton is out, how quickly do you think the Pacers will need Wright back on the court to secure his role before the regular season begins on October 23rd?
