Tyrese Haliburton has firmly established himself as one of the best young players in the NBA. Drafted 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2020, Haliburton's career quickly gained momentum after his trade to the Indiana Pacers in 2022. Now, in just his fourth season in Indiana, the 25-year-old point guard has led the Pacers to back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Haliburton’s impressive playmaking has been a key factor in Indiana's success. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series against the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers, he delivered a standout performance, finishing with 31 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds, while converting 10 of his 16 field goal attempts, including six threes.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) passes the ball while Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) passes the ball while Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Among those offering their recognition of Haliburton’s play was none other than Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. After the Pacers' victory over the Cavaliers, James took to social media, sharing his admiration for Haliburton’s style of play and calling out his peers who voted him as the league's most overrated player.
The message, which was posted on X, praised Haliburton’s approach to the game, something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the young star.
"The LeBron thing was cool to see," Haliburton said in a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. "We texted back and forth last night. I’ve grown a lot of cool relationships from that Olympics experience and it’s been really cool."
Haliburton’s words for James have been catching attention on social media.
"Gonna be so sick to see LeBron as a Pacer and win our 2nd championship next year," one said.
"Lebron to the pacers next year," said another.
"Will forever be supporting #HaliFC," a James fan added.
"He look up to lebron but let yall tell it dudes don't like bron," stated another.
"LePacer," another joked.
The Pacers currently await the winner of the series between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, with the Knicks leading the series 3-2.