Photo Credit:Monica Schipper/WireImage
Jay-Z’s million-dollar wager on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s performance in the 2025 NBA Finals has already resulted in a loss, even though the series is still ongoing. The rap mogul had placed a $1 million bet with Fanatics Sportsbook that the Thunder would win the series in exactly five games. With the Indiana Pacers now leading the series 2-1, that outcome is no longer possible.
Fanatics Sportsbook revealed Jay-Z's bet on June 5 via X. The bet carried odds of +230, which would have paid him $3.3 million in total, including a $2.3 million profit. However, the Pacers disrupted the plan by winning two of the first three games.
Game 1 saw the Thunder lose a double-digit lead in the final quarter, capped off by a game-winning shot from Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton with only 0.3 seconds left. Oklahoma City bounced back in Game 2 at home but stumbled again in Game 3, losing 116-107 at Indiana’s Gainbridge
Fieldhouse despite being 5.5-point favourites.
After Game 3, Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged the Pacers’ intensity: “They were aggressive… more forceful.” Taking responsibility for the loss, he said, “It starts with me, but we gotta apply that pressure back.”
Game 3 was a rollercoaster. Oklahoma City led by five going into the final period, but the Pacers surged ahead. Haliburton hit a crucial three pointer to give the Pacers a 101-98 lead. Myles Turner followed with a layup, Andrew Nembhard added a jumper, and Obi Toppin completed a put back dunk, pushing Indiana to a 107-100 lead with just over four minutes remaining.
Despite the setback, Gilgeous-Alexander remained optimistic ahead of Game 4: “Learn from your mistakes, rest, recovery, do everything we can to be a better basketball team for next game… that’s it.”
The Thunder had been the heavy favourites entering the series, with -700 odds at BetMGM compared to the Pacers’ +500. Even after falling behind in the series, sportsbooks still list Oklahoma City as favourites with odds of -220.
Jay-Z, a former part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets and investor in Fanatics, placed his bet through the company, which he invested $350 million into in 2021. While he lost $1 million, the billionaire’s investment in Fanatics — valued at $31 billion in 2022 — makes the loss a minor setback.
