WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Indiana Pacers are just two wins away from becoming NBA Champions. People of all ages are celebrating this historic playoff run for the Blue and Gold, including one of the team’s newest fans, who was literally born into the fandom.
Matt and Kelli Smith, the ultimate Pacers fans, attend every game they can. But if they can’t make it to the game in person, they’ll be watching it at home, on the go, or in this case, on the way to the hospital to have their third child.
“We were driving in the car because she said it was time to go to the hospital to have the baby and I had the game on in the car on my phone,” said Matt Smith. “The game ended and I mean she was doing heavy labor and I was just watching the game on my phone. Then about three or four minutes after the game ended, she screamed, ‘We have to pull over.’”
The Smiths quickly stopped the car in a subdivision near 146th Street and Kourtney Place. That’s when Matt called 911.
“It was pretty scary in the moment,” Matt said.
“Not for me,” Kelli said. “This was my third kid so I wasn’t too worried about it.”
Before EMS even arrived, it was ‘Boom Baby’ time!
“He was just on the phone with 911 but sure enough he caught the baby and handed him to me,” Kelli said. “We didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl. It was a surprise and I said, ‘It’s a boy!’”
The newest Pacers fan made quite the entrance into this world, weighing six pounds and 14 ounces. EMS arrived shortly after taking Kelli, Matt, and their new baby boy, Landon, to the hospital.
“I was praying for a better birth experience than my last experience and the Lord definitely answered that prayer for me,” Kelli said. “I definitely got the best experience haha.”
Now, the Smiths are back at home cheering on the Pacers in the NBA Finals. As the only boy in the family, Matt says his son’s love for basketball is only just beginning.”
“I hope [he will be the biggest Pacers fan]. Maybe he will be a player one day, so I can retire early,” he said.
Even though Landon is only a few weeks old and he will not remember any of this, his parents will never forget this road to the championship.