One thing for sure is that most NBA fans would’ve not been able to predict a Finals run for the Pacers at the start of the season, but now they are the last team alive in the Eastern Conference, ready to face the Thunder in Game 1 this Thursday evening.
However, months ago LeBron James revealed he saw signs of greatness steaming off Tyrese Haliburton, especially after their experience together in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, when they earned a gold medal together. The Lakers star also mentioned just how good Indiana worked as a team.
“Hali is one of them ones,” the 40-year-old said, not surprised about their chances of success this 2024-25 campaign. “The success is not happening because it came out of the blue. It’s happening because of Hali and that team, they’re built perfectly for that group.”
Tyrese has earned both love and hate throughout this season, as he’s become a notorious trash talker, especially after he was voted by his peers as the league’s most ‘overrated’ player in a Bleacher Report poll. LeBron is also aware of his temperament and theatrics, which also make him a strong competitor.
“We would play a free-throw game after practice,” James recalled of their time together in France last summer. “It would be me, him, Ant, and AD. We would just try to talk sh*t to one another, get somebody off their line.”
Despite not being favourites, Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t seem bothered by having the odds stacked against Indiana. If there is anything that the point guard enjoys, is to prove everyone wrong. “As long as the guys in our locker room, the people in this building believe, then anything is possible.
“So, we’re really excited about the challenge. It’s a really good team in front of us, and no ‘expert’ or analyst is going to pick us [to win] and that’s okay. We like it better that way. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” the superstar told reporters on Tuesday, before facing Thursday’s opener against Oklahoma City.
