Back in April, The Athletic dropped its annual player survey. It featured responses from 158 players. But one section of the survey sparked a huge debate in the internet. It was the most overrated player section. Tyrese Haliburton was voted by peers as the most overrated player in the league. He had a very cool response to it, “I must be doing something right if that’s the case. I don’t have a big speech or comment on it. All I care about is this locker room and winning games.”
And that “winning” hasn’t stopped. The Pacers are now just three games away from an NBA championship. But the disrespect? It just doesn’t stop. Stephen A. has jumped in, once again, with a bold take against Tyrese.
“Superstar status is reserved for the select few, and I don’t view him that way,” Smith had said in an episode of First Take right after Haliburton’s clutch buzzer-beater sent Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to overtime, where the Pacers pulled off a 138–135 win. After his Game 1 winner against OKC in the NBA Finals, Haliburton is now an insane 13-of-15, shooting 86.7%, on game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. Yet, somehow, he’s still not getting the recognition he deserves.
Stephen A. Smith has now revealed who he thinks really won the game for the Pacers. When Molly Qerim of First Take asked him if he thought Haliburton was the biggest reason for the Pacers’ comeback, the broadcaster simply denied it. He says, “No, that wasn’t my biggest reason for their comeback last night.” He then proceeded to give the real reason for the comeback.
He said, “The biggest reason the biggest reason for their comeback first of all, they stopped turning the damn ball over. How about that? Let’s start there, 19 turnovers in the first half they looked like an AAU squad, I couldn’t believe it.”
The Pacers barely led at all in Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City, just 0.3 seconds to be exact! The Thunder’s relentless defense forced Indiana, who normally average 12 turnovers a game, into making 19 turnovers in the first half itself. Despite that, the Pacers found a way to win. Down by as much as 15, they showed remarkable resilience and grit. This comeback marked their fifth win this postseason after trailing by 15 or more points, the most by any NBA team in the play-by-play era.
May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
This comeback wasn’t a one-man show, far from it, actually. In a game where MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 38 points, no Pacer scored more than 19. Haliburton had 14 while Pascal Siakam led the team with 19 points. Stephen A. also gave flowers to Obi Toppin, who went 5-8 from beyond the arc. It was a complete team effort. And much of the credit goes to coach Rick Carlisle, widely recognized for shaping the 2004 Pistons and winning a championship with the Mavericks. And as Stephen A. points out, the 65-year-old coach deserves more praise than anyone for orchestrating this victory.
But this also adds weight to what Stephen A. Smith has been saying about Haliburton. He never said Tyrese was a bad player. In fact, he made that very clear, “I emphasized repeatedly, regardless of the fact that I disagree with the superstar status, he is a young rising star in this game. This is not a scrub. This is not somebody that’s overrated. This is not somebody that’s discrediting the game with his talent and his gifts. This brother can play. He can play, and you certainly want the ball in his hands with money on the line, because he has shown you time and time again that he can deliver.”
The point is, when Stephen A. Smith talks about superstars, he’s thinking of names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Does Haliburton belong in that tier just yet? He’s averaging 18.6 points and 9.2 assists, solid numbers, no doubt. But are they superstar numbers? That’s for you to decide!
But there is one Hall of Famer who’s fully convinced of Haliburton’s talent and believes he’s definitely a superstar. Let’s dive deep into it!
Dwayne Wade calls Tyrese Haliburton a superstar
Just like basketball fans around the globe, Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade exploded with excitement as he watched Tyrese sink the go-ahead jumper with 0.3 seconds left. A match which the OKC Thunder led for 47 minutes and 59.7 seconds ended in a defeat for them. For Wade, that moment was all it took to cement Tyrese’s status as a superstar!
Wade was live streaming the game, and when Haliburton hit the shot, he went crazy. “Superstar!” Wade declared on a livestream. “Superstar! Superstar! Superstar!”
So, while Stephen A. might have his own definition of “superstar,” a large part of the NBA community believes the Pacers guard has already earned that title. Haliburton probably knows not everyone is ready to recognize him for what he is, just yet. However, For every Stephen A. Smith, he has a Dwyane Wade, backing his claim as a legitimate superstar.
And the way he is playing, this narrative seems destined to go only one way. The rest is up to you. Do you think Tyrese Haliburton is now a bona fide superstar? Let us know in the comments!
The post Stephen A. Smith Names Biggest Reason Behind Pacers’ Game 1 Win as Tyrese Haliburton Gets Discredited Again appeared first on EssentiallySports.
