Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals couldn’t have ended more spectacularly. The Indiana Pacers remarkably stole home court advantage from the Oklahoma City Thunder behind another Tyrese Haliburton game-winning shot. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith can’t deny Haliburton’s elite shotmaking, despite his stance that the Pacers guard is not a superstar.
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Haliburton didn’t look like his usual self throughout the majority of Game 1. He finished with only 14 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Not a terrible stat line, but not up to par for the NBA Finals. None of that mattered in the long run, as Haliburton showed up when it mattered most.
His game-winning shot gave the Pacers their first lead of the entire game. He has now converted on a game-winner in every playoff series Indiana has appeared in this postseason. His play throughout this playoff run has turned doubters into believers. But not everyone is on the hype train.
Stephen A. Smith has adamantly stood his ground against crowning Haliburton a superstar. He became extremely vocal on the matter during the Eastern Conference Finals series versus the New York Knicks.
Of course, Smith is a die-hard Knicks fan, which led people to believe that his fandom influenced his opinion. He claims that’s not the case, as he gives the 2x All-Star his flowers when due. Following Hali’s clutch moment in his NBA Finals debut, Smith did just that.
“I think [Tyrese Haliburton] is one of the most clutch players we’ve seen in the postseason era,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “You can’t say enough about the clutch genes that he has, the ice in his veins.”
Even Smith can’t refute that what Haliburton is doing in this playoff run is nothing short of extraordinary. Nonetheless, his take on Hali’s level of stardom hasn’t changed.
“Regardless of the fact that I disagree with the superstar status, he is a young rising star in this game,” Smith said. “This is not a scrub. This is not somebody who is overrated. The brother can play.”
The ESPN star doesn’t want to prematurely place the title of superstar upon Haliburton, though he acknowledges the young star’s extraordinary talent at just 25 years old. Smith may eventually have to eat his words, especially if the Pacers do the unthinkable and win the NBA championship.
