The Athletic's annual NBA player survey always yields interesting results as basketball's elite anonymously share their opinions on their peers and the state of the league.
Players are asked to vote on a number of categories, including the best and worst organizations, best and worst players, and most underrated or overrated players.
Some of the answers were predictable, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being voted as the most likely to win the 2025 NBA MVP, or Victor Wembanyama being chosen as the "face of the league" in the next five years.
But perhaps the most surprising result came in the "most overrated player" category, where a divisive Eastern Conference superstar was voted as the most overhyped star in the NBA.
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Tyrese Haliburton Voted "Most Overrated Player" in the NBA
Pacers star topped player poll with 14.4% of vote
Tyrese Haliburton Pacers
Indiana Pacers superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton was voted as the NBA's "most overrated player" in The Athletic's player poll, earning 14.4 percent of the total vote.
The 25-year-old finished ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert (10 percent) and the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young (8.9 percent).
These results came after somewhat of a down-year for Haliburton, with his statline dropping in virtually every major statistical category between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
Tyrese Haliburton - NBA Stat Comparison
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The Iowa State product earned only 3.7 percent of the vote in the same category in the 2024 survey, with Gobert claiming first place (13.6 percent).
Haliburton led the Pacers to a 50-32 regular-season record — their best since 2013-14 — and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, but it was his performances in the 2025 NBA Playoffs that might have voters questioning their choice in The Athletic's poll.
Haliburton Led Indiana to First Finals Appearance Since 2000
Pacers lost to Thunder in 7 games
Haliburton took his label as the NBA's "most overrated player" personally, letting the poll result fuel an impressive postseason run for the Wisconsin native and the Pacers.
Indiana overpowered the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds of the playoffs, winning both series in four games before facing the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference final.
The Pacers prevailed in a tight six-game series with the Knicks, clinching the East crown and advancing to their first NBA Finals since 2000.
Indiana ran into the Oklahoma City Thunder — the top seed in the NBA with a 68-14 regular-season record — in the Finals, and it didn't take long for fans and pundits alike to label the series as a classic.
A hobbled Haliburton, supported by All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, pushed the Thunder to seven games thanks to a never-say-die attitude and some of the most memorable comebacks in NBA playoff history.
It all ended in heartbreak for the Pacers, however, with Haliburton suffering a devastating Achilles injury just minutes into Game 7, opening the door for an easy Oklahoma City win.
Tyrese Haliburton - 2025 NBA Playoffs Stats
Minutes
Points
Rebounds
Assists
Field Goal %
3-Point Field Goal %
Haliburton has since been diagnosed with an Achilles tendon tear, effectively ruling him out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season. But there's little doubt that the superstar guard has done a lot to prove his doubters wrong, both inside and outside the NBA.
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