The 2023-24 season was hands down Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton's best campaign up to this point in his NBA career.
Last season, Haliburton was selected to his second consecutive All-Star team. Additionally, he became a member of the All-NBA Third Team for the first time in his career. He also averaged a league-leading 10.9 assists per game while leading the Pacers to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014.
However, despite his successful season, Haliburton still dealt with naysayers and doubters all season long. This was especially true after his on-court production dipped drastically at the turn of the new year. But now, it is clear to everybody in the NBA world that Haliburton is thriving despite the doubt, and he is not going anywhere for a long time.
In addition to Indiana's Eastern Conference Finals run and his second straight All-Star selection, the 24-year-old is currently representing Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is especially impressive when considering he was selected over players like Kyrie Irving, Trae Young, and Jalen Brunson.
For Pacers fans, it is a good thing people are still doubting Haliburton. Every time he is met with doubt, the Wisconsin native constantly thrives and proves his doubters wrong. Only time will tell how far he and the Pacers have to go before officially quieting the haters once and for all.
The Indiana Pacers are still being overlooked despite latest playoff run
Despite the Pacers making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, it seems that many people in the NBA world are completely overlooking them for next season. Instead, they are picking teams like the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers to represent the Eastern Conference next season. Fortunately for Pacers fans, Haliburton has already taken note of this.
In a recent interview with GQ, Haliburton spoke about his and the Pacers' expectations for the 2024-25 season. With GQ, he admitted that he feels a lack of respect from the media. However, he also said that, in order to earn respect, he and the team must "keep having success."
“All I keep seeing is, 'Who's going to win the East? Boston, Milwaukee, New York, or Philly?'” Haliburton says. “It's like, what are we doing ? But again, we're Indiana, people didn't even know, people didn't even watch us play until the playoffs. People didn't watch us play until the second round," Haliburton said.
"But again, that respect comes with winning. So if we want to gain that respect, we just got to keep having success as a team. And it's coming.”
It appears Haliburton has a chip on his shoulder for next season. Hopefully for Pacers fans, this leads to an even greater end to their season in 2025.