Dwight Howard Sends Tyrese Haliburton Message After NBA Finals Heroics

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric Nacach | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 7:50 PM ET

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has provided some unforgettable moments this postseason. Back in April, he was anonymously voted “Most Overrated” by his peers around the league. Since then, it’s safe to say he’s been on a mission to prove them wrong—and Thursday night was just the latest example.

In Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers led the Oklahoma City Thunder for just 0.3 seconds but ultimately pulled out a 111-110 win. The victory was a collective effort as Indiana shot over 46% from three. However, the night will be remembered by Haliburton's fourth game-winner of these playoffs.

The shot and unprecedented victory attracted conversation around the sports world, including a shoutout from Hall of Famer Dwight Howard:

"People saying What the Hell got into Haliburton," Howard wrote on social media. "It was that song once he heard his name in that song that man jumped to a top 5 player."

People saying What the Hell got into haliburton it was that song once he heard his name in that song that man jumped to a top 5 player ‍♂️
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) June 6, 2025

The song Howard is referring to is the viral hit, "WTHELLY" by Rob49, released back in March. Haliburton caught wind of his name-drop earlier in the Pacers’ playoff run and gifted the rapper courtside seats for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Although brief, the lyric stuck in Indiana. Haliburton was seen wearing a shirt repping the rapper’s track.

The 6-foot-5 guard is in his sixth season in the NBA after being selected No. 12 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. In these playoffs, Haliburton has averaged 18.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game.

Coverage for Game 2 of the NBA Finals tips off on Sunday at 8 pm ET on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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