One day ahead of Wednesday’s pivotal Game 3 matchup, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton opened up on the pressure that comes with success. In a chat with Malika Andrews, Hali explained the popular trend of discrediting his team and their approach as the underdogs through the entire postseason.
“I think when you’re successful, people will always find a reason to discredit you,” said Haliburton. “That’s really how it goes. The way that our sport is talked about sometimes, even by people put in major positions to talk about it, is not always beneficial to anybody. I just think that’s how things go sometimes. For us, it’s about controlling what we can. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what people have to say about our road to get here, where we are right now, how we’re playing — we’re three games away from being NBA champions, and that’s the biggest thing… Time flies and we’re just trying to enjoy where we are, enjoy where our feet are, and we’ll take the results.”
By all accounts, the Pacers weren’t supposed to be here. As a small market franchise with a limited history of playoff success, it’s no wonder they were not most people’s first choice as a potential Finals team. Mix in their mostly unproven roster of young players, and it makes several reasons why the Pacers were not projected as a top team in the East, even after acquiring Pascal Siakam.
Going into the playoffs, it was the Celtics, Cavaliers, and New York Knicks who were considered contenders, while the Pacers were more of an afterthought. Without multiple top-tier stars and a moderate supporting cast, at best, nobody thought Indiana would return to the Conference Finals for the second straight year.
But following major series victories over the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Knicks, Indiana is back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, and the vibes couldn’t be better. With Haliburton leading the way, the Pacers have proven all the doubters wrong and are demanding respect from even their staunchest doubters.
While many doubters and critics remain, especially after their loss in Game 2, the Pacers will not let it drive them off course. Thanks to Haliburton’s leadership and heroics at just 25 years old, they have kept their composure in the playoffs so far and are more focused than ever on completing the mission and shocking the entire basketball world with a championship win.
As for the current state of NBA discourse, there will always be doubters and haters who want to see teams fail. For an unproven squad like the Pacers, it’s hard for the fans to trust them, and many won’t respect them until they finish the job and win a championship. The only thing Hali and the Pacers can do about it is prove them wrong on the court and give the fans no other choice but to acknowledge their status as one of the best squads in the league and a defining team of the modern generation of the game.
