As the Indiana Pacers work through their flaws after the trade deadline, star Tyrese Haliburton would take time to defend Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Haliburton would talk about his Team USA teammate in Tatum, especially about the hate he has received throughout the years from the internet.
The Indiana star was asked about the hate for Tatum on “The Pat McAfee Show” where he spoke highly of his Eastern Conference foe, saying that it probably doesn’t help that he played for Duke in college and then the Celtics, two “polarizing teams.” Still, he calls the backlash to Tatum “unwarranted.”
“Yeah. I mean, I think it’s unwarranted,” Haliburton said. “He’s an elite player in our league, coming off, he’s the best player on the best team in the NBA, you know, of a championship. So I feel like it’s not, it’s not right for the hate that he gets. I mean, think part of it could be he went to Duke and he plays on the Celtics, two polarizing teams, but, I mean, Jayson is a good dude.”
“He’s got a shoe, he’s elite, like, he’s got everything, you know, so I don’t really understand it,” Haliburton continued. “I think us as players, I think he has the respect from his peers and I think that’s what means more than anything, as an NBA player, the respect to get from your peers and we know when we play Boston you got to be ready and game plan around Jayson Tatum.”
“I think the Jayson Tatum hate is unwarranted and he’s an elite player in our league..
He’s a good dude and I don’t really understand it..
He has the respect from his peers”@TyHaliburton22 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/vYXKHXq5x1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 27, 2025
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton more likeable than Jayson Tatum, other stars?
As Halibiurton looks to solidify his star status in the NBA, there has been talk from some, such as Shannon Sharpe, about the face of the NBA, which took a spin from McAfee. Though some would say he’s biased since he’s connected to Indianapolis, he would say that Halibirton is the “only likable superstar in the NBA” according to Awful Announcing.
“I think they need more likable superstars. Thought about the NBA a lot during the break, because Tyrese Haliburton, a friend of ours, and the Pacers have the best record in 2025,” McAfee said.
“I thought about it because Tyrese is a friend of the program, and I thought to myself, is Tyrese the only likable superstar in the NBA? You start going around, and it’s like, LeBron has been famous for 25 years at this point, so it’s not his job to carry the league; it’s not his job to be out there,” McAfee continued. “But all the other superstars, they don’t really care if people like them. And it’s like, hey, I think whenever you’re a league, to get the casuals in there, there has to be some sort of connection, there has to be some sort of likability. So for the Pacers to have the best record in 2025, I think it’s good news for the NBA, because Tyrese Haliburton hopefully is gonna get a little bit more [attention].”
Indiana is 33-24 which puts them fourth in the East as they next face the Miami Heat Friday.
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