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Rick Carlisle lookalikes: Explaining the Jim Carrey doppleganger memes with Pacers coach

David Suggs

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Rick Carlisle lookalikes: Explaining the Jim Carrey doppleganger memes with Pacers coach image

If looks can deceive, then are we sure it's Rick Carlisle stalking the sidelines in front of the Pacers' bench?

Yes, all signs point to him being the rightful heir to Indiana's throne. But this isn't just basketball. It's showbiz, too. And you'd have to admit, it would make for quite the story if Carlisle's Pacers weren't Carlisle's at all.

In the end, Carlisle is the man tasked with leading Indiana to the NBA's promised land. In his fourth year at the helm, Carlisle has returned the Pacers to the Finals for the first time since 2000.

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Carlisle's function in that accomplishment can't be overstated. He has more than three decades of coaching experience. Moreover, that's more than three decades worth of time to refine his tactical identity and make the commensurate changes necessary to see it come to fruition on the floor.

Nevertheless, in another universe, he's an actor-comedian whose expressive countenance and penchant for slapstick humor made him a global superstar.

With that, here's the tea on the similarities that exist between Carlisle and his lookalike, acclaimed actor and funnyman Jim Carrey.

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Rick Carlisle lookalikes: Explaining the Jim Carrey doppleganger memes with Pacers coach

Carlisle and Carrey share a great many facial features with one another, from their high cheekbones and dimples to their warm and endearing eyes.

The two have been compared to one another for decades, mostly on account of them being quite public-facing figures: Carlisle is a former NBA player who has been coaching professionally since 1989, while Carrey has been a fixture on the big and small screens alike for the past four decades.

Both have had their say regarding the comparison. The fact that it has continued into 2025 could be a good indicator that it is an accurate one.

MORE: Revisiting Rick Carlisle's playing career with Celtics and more

"I swear, all the time, on my Twitter, I get people saying that I look like the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, like I look like Rick Carlisle. I don't know, I don't get it, I have seen the guy, I'm not sure," Carrey said during an appearance on "The David Letterman Show" a few years back.

Carlisle, for his part, has leaned into the comparison over the years. He even sported a shirt featuring a not-so-subtle reference to his doppelgänger back in Halloween 2015.

So, do the two look alike? We'll let you be the judge. Just make sure you squint if you want to see the differences between the two. 

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David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.