Tyrese Haliburton reflects on being labeled the most overrated player in the NBA: "I always have had people talking s–t about my whole life"
Tyrese Haliburton isn't your typical point guard who would lead the team by dropping 30-40 points on a nightly basis, as his game is more about involving others. Still, the two-time All-Star averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists per game in the 2024-25 regular season to earn an All-NBA Third Team nod. Yet despite that, he was voted the most overrated player in the NBA in an anonymous players' poll.
While that disrespect became a motivation for Tyrese, he made it clear that it wasn't new to him; rather, he's dealt with it throughout his career and learned his way to shut his critics down through his performance on the floor.
"I wasn't a super highly recruited kid or anything I always have had people talking s–t about my whole life. I'm used to it," Haliburton said.
"I had a tough year for most of last year. I struggled early and battled with some injury stuff. So, when this came, it felt pretty funny. It came out the right time, too, 'cause I'm the type of dude when I see something like that, it's the battery. You know what I mean? It's the battery I need. It came before the playoffs," he added.
Tyrese knew the Pacers had a point to prove
During the 2024-25 regular season alone, Hali went 10-of-11 on shots to either tie the game or take the lead. And once the playoffs began, he took that clutch gene to unprecedented levels.
It all began when he led the Indiana Pacers to pull off a seven-point comeback in less than a minute in Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks to close out their first-round series.
Then Tyrese hit a go-ahead three-pointer with just over one second left to beat the No.1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of their second-round series. In the Eastern Conference finals' Game 1 against the New York Knicks , Haliburton led a wild comeback - erasing a 14-point deficit in less than three minutes and a nine-point deficit in the last minute, helping send the contents to overtime with his clutch jumper.
Then, when the world expected OKC Thunder to end the Pacers' hype in the NBA Finals series opener, Haliburton wasn't going to let things unravel that way. He gave Indiana its first lead of the contest with just 0.3 left on the clock, helping the Pacers register a gritty 111-110 win.
Haliburton claimed it wasn't just him wanting to prove a point; the whole team embraced that mindset, registering one comeback victory after another and getting comfortable taking the game deep. Because for that entire group, seeing one of their game own be belittled was a non-negotiable.
"Our team felt like they weren't just disrespecting me; it was disrespecting our team as a group," Haliburton added. "It was like, 'y'all calling him overrated and he our leader. So we must be weak.'"
Hali came so close to the ultimate glory
Haliburton was well on track to have one of the greatest individual playoff runs ever, as he looked determined to win Indiana its first NBA championship. He even knocked down three 3-pointers in the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals before tearing his Achilles tendon and being ruled out of the contest, as his team eventually lost the ultimate prize.
In many ways, he showed the world that he well and truly belonged among the very best players of the next generation, reinforcing the idea that he may not be the face of a large-market franchise, but he has the capability to elevate the basketball scene of an entire city.
That is why, as long as he returns to full health in the 2026-27 season, the Pacers fanbase and organization will always feel they have a shot at winning the Larry O'Brien trophy, because Haliburton has the ability that very few in league history have possessed.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
