From courtside flamingos to hard hats: Meet ‘Sign Guy,’ the Indiana Pacers’ most beloved superfan

A packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be expectant on Wednesday night for the first game of the NBA Finals in downtown Indianapolis as the 20,000 fans will play their role in spurring their team on.

After winning a last gasp opening game of the series, the Thunder roared back into contention with an emphatic Game 2 in which leaves the series delicately poised at 1-1.

Game 3 is scheduled and one Pacers fan who will not be absent from the big occasion is Matt Asen.

Matt who? Maybe you know him as ‘Sign Guy’ or Flamingo Guy’ but the 72-year-old is a diehard Pacers fans despite living in Florida.

After teasing Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the season, Asen became an overnight internet sensation.

“I always get texted a lot when I’m on TV, but this was over the top,” Asen told Fieldhouse Files on Thursday. “I got texts and calls from Texas, St. Louis, Indiana, California, New York — and even people I haven’t heard from for a long time because the thing went viral. My friends said ‘You’re a virus now.’”

Despite struggling with health issues these days, he will make the flight from Fort Myers, Florida, to sit courtside in his usual seat with Asen having not missed a home playoff game since 1993..

“It’s been 38 years so there’s a whole two generations of fans that have grown up with me and they get to meet me and they get a thrill (with the flamingos),” he said.

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