The debate around Tyrese Haliburton took an unexpected turn when his peers voted him the NBA’s most overrated player in The Athletic’s annual anonymous survey. The Indiana Pacers star received 14.4 percent of the vote from 90 players, the highest share of any player in the league.
What Did LeBron James Say About Tyrese Haliburton?
What seemed like a harsh judgment from his fellow competitors, however, didn’t sit well with one of the game’s all-time greats. LeBron James, who shared the court with Haliburton as teammates on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team in Paris, watched the 25-year-old guard silence his critics during the 2025 playoffs.
As Haliburton led the Pacers to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances for the first time in over a decade, the Lakers’ superstar felt compelled to speak up.
Taking to social media during the Pacers-Cavaliers matchup, James didn’t mince words about the overrated narrative. “Hali fkn hooping!!!! Where the lames who said he was overrated??!!” the four-time champion wrote on X. “Quiet as hell. That boy NICE and even more someone everyone would love to play with!”
Recently on the “Mind the Game” podcast, Haliburton replaced Steve Nash to talk with James. It was then that the Lakers star said the ‘overrated’ label on the Pacers star was ‘Ridiculous.’
The King’s defense of Haliburton carried extra weight, given their Olympic connection and James’ reputation for elevating his teammates throughout his career. As someone who made a living by helping others improve, James recognized a motivated spirit in Haliburton’s pass-first mentality.
The numbers back up LeBron’s assessment. According to StatMuse, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 73 games during the 2024-25 regular season. His playmaking ability ranked him third in the league in assists per game, cementing his status as one of the NBA’s elite floor generals.
In the previous season (2023-24), he posted even stronger numbers with 20.1 points and 10.9 assists per game while earning his second consecutive All-Star selection.
The “overrated” label seemed to fuel Haliburton rather than break him. After eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, he posted on social media: “Overrate THAT.” His playoff performances have been nothing short of spectacular, averaging 17.5 points and 8.6 assists while shooting 46.3 percent from the field in the 2025 postseason.
MORE: Tyrese Haliburton, LeBron James Reveal the ‘Worst Thing’ About Playing Back-to-Back Games in the NBA
He led the Pacers to the NBA Finals last season, along with Pascal Siakam. But Haliburton’s dreams came crashing down when he suffered an Achilles injury in Game 7. That destroyed all hopes for the chip in Indiana, which led to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Haliburton’s journey from being overlooked to proving doubters wrong resonates with players like James, who understand the pressure that comes with elevated expectations. With LeBron firmly in his corner, the narrative around the Pacers star is starting to shift from “overrated” to undeniable.
