**Source: Gregory Shamus / Getty**
Throughout the NBA Playoffs, and specifically through the Eastern Conference Finals, Pacers fans have had to deal with endless questions about their team and their star player.
Even though they were the higher seed, plenty of experts picked the Pacers to lose in the first round to the Bucks, while in the 2nd round, the top-seeded Cavaliers were almost unanimously favored over Indiana. The Pacers took care of both teams in five games, but going into the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers were once again the underdog to the New York Knicks, with certain “experts” saying that Indiana wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure of playing at Madison Square Garden in the playoffs (conveniently ignoring the fact that the Pacers won a Game 7 there last year).
The doubting of the Pacers doesn’t bother me at this point. It’s been obvious throughout the season that a lot of the national media don’t watch or care about the team, instead focusing on big markets like L.A and New York. What has been far more irritating has been the continued disrespect of Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers star has been transcendent during this playoff run, leading the charge on three improbable comebacks in each of the first three rounds, before authoring a magnum opus in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, where he posted a triple-double, didn’t commit a single turnover, and got the Pacers to within one win of the NBA Finals.
Despite his impressive playoff resume, there are still some high-profile pundits that believe that Haliburton has still not achieved superstar status.
It’s hard not to roll your eyes and laugh at these sorts of hot takes. If Haliburton isn’t elite, if he isn’t a superstar after everything he has done, not just during this playoff run or this season, but during his entire tenure with the Pacers, then who is? Superstars are the players you rely on in crunch time, when you need someone to step up and make the big play. Haliburton has done that time and time again.
Yes, you may get the occasional performance like we saw in Game 3 against the Knicks. More often than not though, when the game is on the line, you want him out there with the ball in his hands. To me, that’s a superstar. Everything else is just noise.
During the Wednesday edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to Kevin Bowen from The Fan Morning Show, as well as former NBA player Eddie Gill of the Pacers Radio Network. Listen to those conversations below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
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