Earlier this season, Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton was voted as the most "overrated" player in the NBA by opposing players. It was a shocking outcome from the poll, but an outcome that has further motivated Haliburton in the playoffs.
After Haliburton put together a dominant performance in Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night to eliminate the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and advance to the conference finals for the second straight year, he has quieted some of the haters.
LeBron James spoke out about Haliburton during the Game 5 win over the Cavaliers and fired back against the overrated tag he was given.
"Hali (expletive) hooping!!!! Where the lames who said he was overrated??!!" James said. "Quiet as (expletive). That boy NICE and even more someone everyone would love to play with!"
Rachel Nichols spoke out about James' comment and revealed even more details about the poll that named Haliburton overrated.
"If you look at how many players even answered that “who’s overrated” question (only 90 of 450 players in the NBA) & then see only 14.4% of the 90 voted for @TyHaliburton22 , it maths out to…13 guys," she wrote on X. "Obvs it should have been 0. But the NBA is the most petty league on earth, so…"
Throughout the course of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 47.3% from the floor and 38.8% from 3-point range.
In the playoffs, Haliburton has remained solid. He has produced 17.5 points per game to go along with 9.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds.
Tyrese Haliburton
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Regardless of where players or fans stand on Haliburton, no one can take away the fact that his team is one series win away from the NBA Finals for a second year in a row. He has helped put the Pacers back on the map.
Now, Indiana and Haliburton will wait to find out who they will play. It will be either the New York Knicks or Boston Celtics. The Knicks seem likely, as they hold a 3-1 series lead over the Celtics entering Game 5 on Wednesday night.