Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard experience Indy tradition as 500 Festival Grand Marshals
The Pacers teammates embraced one of Indianapolis’ signature traditions — while making clear they hope not to make it an annual thing because they’d rather still be playing in the NBA Playoffs.
Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers had the honor of representing both the team and the city on Saturday.
Although the Pacers endured a quiet and uneventful spring — something they don’t want to get used to — the two starters were invited to serve as Grand Marshals for the 500 Festival Parade, held annually one day before the Indianapolis 500.
“I’m super excited. Should be fun. My first time, and hopefully my last,” Siakam said before the start, smiling.
“I wanna be in the playoffs. I wanna be playing.”
The 2025-26 Pacers season did not go the way anyone hoped. The team finished with just 19 wins after enduring an unsustainable number of injuries throughout the season, beginning with All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton missing the entire year because of the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June.
That was 11 months ago.
The Indianapolis 500 is one of the premier sporting events each year. It’s easily the marquee race in the IndyCar Series, and annually more than 330,000 fans fill the 2.5-mile oval just west of downtown Indianapolis for what should be considered a bucket-list event for any sports fan.
Before race day, though, comes the 500 Festival Parade — a community celebration honoring the spirit and legacy of the Indy 500.
“This is really the culmination of the month of May for the 500 Festival,” said Dave Neff, president and CEO of the 500 Festival. “Our last major event before we roll into the 110th running of the Indy 500.
“Thankfully, the weather is cooperating. We’re gonna have a beautiful day out here — not too hot, no rain. We’ve got an Artemis II astronaut, Jeremy Hansen, who’ll be in the parade, which is really special.
“We’ve got 13 marching bands, 32 of the 33 drivers; Katherine Legge is doing the double. The U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. We just have so many amazing groups and a couple hundred thousand of our closest friends. There’s nothing like May in Indy.”
The parade began just before noon Saturday and lasted several hours. It included the governor of Indiana, the mayor of Indianapolis, celebrities and community groups from across the state.
The parade route stretched 1.5 miles, beginning at Pennsylvania and North streets, then looping west on Washington Street and finishing at Meridian and North streets.
“I’m excited to try to ingrain myself in the culture,” Nembhard said. “I’ve been here for four years and haven’t gotten the chance to come to the 500. I want to see what it’s all about.”
“I’m super excited to see everyone,” added Siakam. “I don’t know what to expect, to be honest.”
Siakam also had his personal photographer there to capture the experience — including one entertaining interaction before the parade began.
After arriving downtown, Siakam was stopped by a parking attendant asking for $10 for event parking.
“I’m the Grand Marshal of the Parade,” he said. “I don’t get to park for free?”
“You’re not the Grand Marshal — Caitlin Clark is,” the attendant replied. “It’s Caitlin Clark. I know for a fact. … You think you’re going to fool the old lady?”
She then did a quick Google search and realized that Siakam was, in fact, one of the Grand Marshals for the parade.
Clark later responded to Siakam’s Instagram post about the exchange: “Hahahah this is great.”
The two Pacers players were ninth in the parade lineup. New this year, they rode atop a 500 Festival float rather than sitting in the back of a Chevrolet Corvette pace car.
“The Grand Marshal is a bit of a formality in terms of its title and its role,” Neff said. “You think back over the last 50 years, we’ve had a president. Gerald Ford was Grand Marshal at one point (1979). Icons like Larry Bird, Peyton Manning, Walter Cronkite. Some really significant names and leaders that have held the formal title of Grand Marshal.
“It signals, ‘Hey, this is somebody that, through their body of work, has demonstrated leadership in whatever sphere they’re in.’”
Former Pacer Scot Pollard served as Grand Marshal in 2025, while Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings was honored in 2024. Other notable basketball honorees include the Indiana Fever championship team in 2013 and Reggie Miller in 2005.
“We thought, ‘This is the only year where they’re not gonna be in the playoffs, so we might as well pounce,’” Neff continued. “Then it was great to see our friends at IMS have Caitlin Clark being the Grand Marshal tomorrow for race day.
“I think it unites the sports ecosystem in Indy, so it’s a great partnership.”
Nembhard felt that connection as well. Whether it’s the Colts, Pacers, Fever or IMS, all of the Indianapolis sports teams are so supportive of one another.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” Nembhard said. “Going around the (Pacers) facility, I’m talking to people that have grown up here and it’s like a childhood memory.
“It’s a big thing for everybody in the city. So I just want to kind of engulf myself in it and enjoy myself.”
Siakam is a racing fan — and a sports fan in general. He has attended Formula 1 races before, but not the Indianapolis 500. Until Sunday.
“I don’t got a pick,” he said beforehand. “I’m still looking at my drivers, man. I’m evaluating.”
Nembhard, meanwhile, picked Christian Lundgaard.
“I haven’t gotten to learn too much about the race yet, but I got the opportunity to go into the pit with the McLaren team,” he said. “It was nice to see how much strategy goes into a sport like this. That’s hard to tell from the outside.”
Pacers fans had hoped for a Game 7 victory last June, followed by a championship parade through downtown Indianapolis to celebrate the franchise’s first NBA title. That will have to wait for another day.
Still, fans stayed with the team throughout the difficult season, supporting them through tough moments and already looking ahead to next season.
This moment for Siakam and Nembhard felt like another opportunity for fans to show their appreciation and thank the players for the success they all enjoyed during the past two postseasons.
“I think the fans here are always super supportive and they just love to see us play hard and give it our all,” Nembhard said, smiling. “So I think they’re gonna be excited about next year.”
For one afternoon, Siakam and Nembhard got to experience one of Indianapolis’ most cherished traditions from the center of it all. Next May, however, they hope to be watching from afar — still busy chasing a championship with the Pacers.