Overrated is a word that can apply to a lot of players. But after being voted as the league’s most “overrated” player, Tyrese Haliburton is making sure this word doesn’t apply to him. How? Well, he’s combining Pacers heritage with incredible performances on the court. And as he mingles with legends, he’s slowly making himself into one. But in his attempts, Hali quietly shattered an NBA record set by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

Tonight, Tyrese Haliburton put on a show at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse with his dad in attendance for the first time since the Milwaukee series. The 25-year-old put up a 30-point triple-double as the Pacers went 3-1 up in the Eastern Conference Finals. And after the game, he talked about how he feels, chopping it up with the legends that came before him.

“But you see Lance in the building. Steven Jackson was here the other day. Al Herring. Roy Hibbert. D.G.[Danny Granger], Reggie [Miller]. I mean, all these guys are guys who I’ve grown up watching. So when I got traded to the Pacers, or just being a basketball fan, you think of all the guys who come before you, and they’ve tried to help put this organization in a better place than they found it. And that’s what I’m trying to do as well. And I know that might be cliche or might be weird because it’s professional sports,” said Tyrese Haliburton.

There’s no disputing the fact that Tyrese is trying his best to make sure he ends up in the same conversations as the legends he mentioned.

Even in Game 1, Hali paid homage to Reggie Miller’s iconic “choking” celebration. It wasn’t a game-winner, yes, but it still planted a subtle connection between Hali and Reggie. Especially in the minds of the Indiana Pacers faithful. So, slowly but surely, all the talk of him being “overrated” is evaporating.

And it’s not just his perception; Hali is doing his best to improve his game as well. “You know, I felt like I let the team down in game three. I felt like I could have been so much better. So I felt like I responded the right way today, just trying to be aggressive, take what the defense gives me. I felt like I was a little jittery playing too fast. So just trying to calm myself down, especially in the half-court isolations and stuff, trying to, just, settle down, and then just trying to find guys and just play the right way,” he said after the game.

Tyrese’s growth was on full display tonight. And he owes the incredible record he set tonight to the mindset and the leaps and bounds his game has taken because of it.

Tyrese Haliburton breaks an incredible Magic Johnson and Larry Bird record

Tyrese Haliburton had 0 turnovers today in 38 minutes played. “My game is a little unorthodox. I jump to pass probably more than anybody in the NBA. But, I mean, I work on that stuff. That’s how I’ve worked my whole life to play the game. So I take pride [in it] and take care of the ball,” said the Pacers guard, explaining how he did it. But if getting 0 turnovers with a triple-double wasn’t impressive enough, he shattered an NBA record today. One that has stood since the era of Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Both Bird and Johnson had games with 0 turnovers and 12 assists. Do you know how many Tyrese had tonight? A whopping 15! That’s 15 passes that lead to a basket and zero mistakes. And with this, Haliburton set a new record for the most assists in a single game with no turnovers in the Conference Finals.

This stat is impressive enough as is. But the fact that he pushed the dagger deeper into the Knicks with this performance makes it all the sweeter. And now, the Pacers have one foot in the NBA Finals.

That said, as he looks to emulate the legendary Pacers of the past, he’ll need to channel some of that late 90s-early 00s Reggie Miller energy and make sure the Pacers have a shot at history. And if they go all the way, Tyrese Haliburton will cement himself as a Pacers legend with no equal!