LeBron James rips peers who labeled Tyrese Haliburton 'overrated'

Haliburton is off to a rollicking start to his pro career, having made two All-Star teams, one All-NBA team and two conference finals within five years. While the Iowa State alum often comes across as brash and arrogant — he waved Cleveland fans goodbye after Tuesday's win — he plans to stay humble through all the early success.

"I'm not going to take winning for granted," he declared. "This is a special time — back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals — but we're not done. We have a way to go. It's a special feeling. I was representing the Pacers at the Draft Lottery a couple of years ago. This group if special. I don't take any of this for granted."

The Pacers front office deserves kudos for building an elite roster. After acquiring Haliburton from the Kings in Feb. 2022, they drafted Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard before filling out the rest of the roster with the acquisitions of Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin. The latter two were nearly out of the league before they found their footing in Indiana. Then, the icing on the cake came in the form of Pascal Siakam's acquisition at last year's trade deadline, setting back-to-back deep playoff runs in motion.

A solid supporting cast notwithstanding, Indiana has taken on Hali's identity. The 25-year-old played with a joy of pushing the pace in college, and has continued to do the same in the pros.