Sweet can turn sour in the blink of an eye when it comes to NBA fandom, and Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner found that out firsthand when he made his return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time with the Bucks after a decade playing his home games there with the Indiana Pacers. 

Turner was drafted by the Pacers 11th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and played in Indiana for 10 seasons, becoming one of the franchise's most iconic players in the 21st century and helping to lead the Pacers to an NBA Finals appearance in 2025. In his 10 seasons in Indiana, he averaged 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game while remaining a reliable defensive presence.

His tenure in Indiana changed after that Finals appearance when he signed a four-year $108.9 million contract with the Bucks, jumping ship to the Pacers' Midwest rivals.

While Turner may not have been expecting a hero's welcome or tribute video when he played in Indiana for the first time as a Bucks, the welcome he did receive was certainly a rude awakening. 

A "Disheartening" Return

Boos rang out from the stands as Turner touched the court and followed him throughout the game. It clearly affected and confused him, considering all the time he spent playing for those fans.

“It was disheartening, man, it was frustrating," Turner said (WISH-TV News). "You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take pay cuts, you survive trade rumors, you try to do everything the right way. Sometimes that's how stuff shakes out. It's cool. I take it on the chin."

A Messy Exit from Indiana

The circumstances surrounding Turner's departure from Indiana are still murky. While not disclosed, Turner said he felt "blindsided" by Indiana's contract offer when he became a free agent and added fuel to the fire during Bucks media day when he spoke about how nice it was to be in a city that "celebrated" him, drawing further ire from Pacers fans. 

Turner later clarified that his comment was directed towards team ownership, not fans or Indiana as a whole, but the damage was done. 

Comments Turner made about his former teammate Tyrese Haliburton on Thanasis Antetomounmpo's podcast Thanalysis were also misconstrued as Turner calling Haliburton a "fake tough guy," who can't back up what he says, another piece of fuel to the fire regarding Pacers' fans' resentment of Turner. 

He hasn't paid any mind to the way people have interpreted his comments, it seems, but still addressed the narratives he's perceived in his postgame interview. 

"I think a lot of people say I said things, but I think a lot of people want to formulate their own narratives and spin it to whatever they want it to be. It is what it is, man," Turner said.