Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers rallied back from a 15-point deficit to steal Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the road against the Thunder. Haliburton nailed the last-second mid-range jumper that sealed the game. This shot marked the first lead the Pacers had in the entire game, as the basketball world was left stunned at what they pulled off in the most clutch moment of the game.
Among the surprised celebrities and fans all over the world watching the Finals was the Heat legend Dwyane Wade. He initially posted his live reaction to the final shot on social media, where he could be heard yelling “Superstar! Superstar! Superstar!” after Haliburton made the shot.
https://twitter.com/wynetwork/status/1930839576546791873
A few hours later, he posted a video on social media where he explained why this shot has guaranteed a slot for Tyrese Haliburton in the superstar status of the NBA.
“Haliburton is a fu**ing superstar. I just witnessed one of the greatest games of my– first of all, this is one of the greatest games that I’ve ever watched as a fan, tonight in the NBA Finals, OKC-Pacers. Haliburton is fu**ing superstar, like it ain’t no question no more.”
“I don’t think you understand when you’re out of rhythm and you’re struggling. You ain’t having the game, you ain’t getting that rhythm, you ain’t getting your bunnies, you ain’t getting free throws, you ain’t got no rhythm. To take that shot and to make that shot, he’s a cold motherf***er. Allen Iverson will call him and probably say ‘You’re a cold motherf***er’.”
This was probably about Allen Iverson’s iconic shot over Tyronn Lue and the moments that followed, where he stepped over Lue to cross him in one of the coldest moments in NBA finals history. This happened in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in 2001 between the Lakers and the 76ers.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1004347314805313541
“I’m gonna get a jersey, I need it signed, I ain’t even– this guy has something, dawg. His clutch gene is what we all want in life.”
Haliburton had a rough start to Game 1 as the Pacers ended the first half on the wrong side of NBA history. They recorded 9 turnovers in the first half, just days after Haliburton became the first player to record 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game with 0 turnovers. Haliburton finished the game with 14 points, 6 assists and 10 rebounds.
The OKC Thunder clearly had Haliburton on top of their scouting report as they effectively put the clamps on him for most of the game. However, Haliburton found his rhythm late in the game and showed up in the most important moment of the game for the Pacers. In Wade’s opinion, showing up in a moment when no one thinks you can show up is a true mark of a superstar from Haliburton.
