During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Tyrese Haliburton addressed the overrated label with surprising honestyTyrese Haliburton (Image Credit: Imagn)
Last season, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was controversially labeled as the “most overrated player” during the NBA regular season. It initially seemed like harsh criticism but later turned into a motivating force. Haliburton used the slight to fuel a historic run that led the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Haliburton addressed the overrated label with surprising honesty. Rather than taking offense, he explained how his inner circle found amusement in the situation.

“I think it came out towards the end of the season. I think it was pretty funny. Like all my boys just joking with me about it. Like texting me all the time, just talking shit. And I’ve come to be the guy who just used everything as fuel. So that was just like the fun within it,” Irving said.

Haliburton noted how the narrative gave him and his teammates more reason to rally and prove doubters wrong. He saw it not only as a personal challenge but as something the whole team internalized. However, Haliburton admitted that he hasn’t dwelled on the “most overrated” label since.

“I have not spoken about it or looked at or thought about it since, but I wonder who’s going to be the guy voted on it next year. Maybe it’ll still be me. Maybe I’ll be in a boot and still get voted number one. That’d be cool. That’d be cool. I mean, you got to,” he added.

 

Tyrese Haliburton Hails Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Historic Season

Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Image Credit: Imagn)
Last season, the Pacers’ championship aspirations came to an end at the hands of the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the Finals MVP. On the Finals loss during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Tyrese Haliburton didn’t hold back in giving Shai the credit he deserved and called him a rightful MVP.

“SGA is the MVP for a reason, and he put together one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. He gets to his spots, and he scores at all three levels,” Haliburton said.

Gilgeous-Alexander certainly lived up to the acclaim, averaging 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds over the seven-game Finals series. Though the Pacers fell short, Haliburton also contributed solid numbers throughout the Finals. The young point guard averaged 14.0 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds across the seven games.

Brittney Griner speaking to reporterBrittney Griner (Photo via Twitter)
WNBA star Brittney Griner was at the center of a new debate over what she allegedly said in a game against basketball phenom Caitlin Clark.

The Atlanta Dream center found herself at the center of social media controversy last month when some fans thought she disparaged Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark upon fouling out.

The game’s broadcast focused on an upset Griner saying something as she returned to the Dream bench after fouling out of the game. While there’s no audio of this moment, some who tried to read Griner’s lips thought she called Clark a “trash f–king white girl.”

However, there’s no proof of Griner saying those actual words since others thought she stated something else.

It took weeks for someone to finally get a quote from her, and she provided much of nothing.

Brittney Griner was asked about this moment before her team’s June 15 game against the Washington Mystics and said, “I remember fouling out, being mad. I remember fouling out on, I believe it was [Natasha] Howard driving to the basket. They said I put my hand in.”

WNBA Chooses Not To Investigate Brittney Griner

Griner Drops F-Bomb, Apologizes Amid Clark Slur RowBrittney Griner (Photo By Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Moments before the conclusion of the Indiana Fever’s 81-76 victory over the Dream at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta weeks ago, cameras seemingly caught Atlanta Dream star center Brittney Griner labeling Caitlin Clark “trash” before calling her a “f***ing white girl” in frustration over a foul on Natasha Howard.

The clip of Griner speaking on the bench, lacking context, spread on social media and went viral.

Griner, who won a gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, essentially got away with whatever came out of her mouth because the league basically ignored the controversy.

This incident is not the only time Griner vocalized her frustrations this season. Following another game, she stormed off mid-interview, yelling at the referees to “be f—ing better.