“Playoff series’ are chippy and personal. We’ve got to stay out of the weeds,” said Rick Carlisle after Game 4 of the Indiana Pacers’ playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the head coach’s remark was directed towards Bennedict Mathurin’s ejection after a scuffle with De’Andre Hunter, it was also general advice for how a player needs to be careful in the postseason. After all, from the looks of it, Tyrese Haliburton had come pretty close to having his own scuffle with the Cavs players. The same was indicated after the in-game coverage showed the Pacers’ star exchanging words back and forth with his rivals who were near the bench. Fortunately, Haliburton has now assured us that the banter was nothing but general ribbing.

The 2x NBA All-Star participated in a presser after his team’s 129-109 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. During the same, a reporter highlighted Rick Carlisle’s remarks to him, and inquired whether he too was getting ‘personal’ and ‘chippy’ with the Cavs players. Haliburton dismissed that, stating, “Um, well, Tristan Thompson, as many of you know, is like my big brother. Uh, we got traded here together. We’re really close, we talked very often, um, and we haven’t really said many words to each other all series, and uh, last game he was letting me hear it on the bench”.

Haliburton also added that “So, it was really just like little bro-big bro banter between me and TT, uh, you know. But that’s…. that’s family and that’s all, uh, it’s all part of the fun”.

Their bond grew during the 2021-22 season when both were traded to Indiana from Sacramento. Thompson, a 2016 NBA champion, mentored Haliburton through the shock of the trade, offering advice on embracing a new team. Despite Thompson’s brief stint—playing just four games before a buyout—their connection remains strong, explaining why their Game 4 exchange stayed in the realm of good-natured ribbing.

In short, nothing that was in danger of escalating to a full-fledged feud. Then again, in a competitive sport like the NBA, anything can happen. Therefore, it was safe to ask and confirm.

Tyrese Haliburton and Tristan Thompson do share a close bond, having developed the same in the sole season in which the duo played together. Both of them were traded to the Indiana Pacers, along with Buddy Hield, in a move that shocked Haliburton. After all, he expected to stay a Sacramento Kings player for life. Thompson, along with Buddy Hield, took it upon themselves to encourage the young player to embrace his new home. As Thompson said, “Indiana’s a basketball state and the kid loves to hoop. I think it’s perfect.” Perfect for Haliburton, maybe, but not for Thompson, as the latter reached a mutual contract buyout agreement with the Indiana Pacers after having played with them for just four games!

Though their time together wasn’t for long, the ‘little bro-big bro’ designation showed that they still mean a lot to each other. Therefore, if anyone from the Cavaliers’ bench was going to say anything to the Indiana Pacers star, it had better have been Tristan Thompson only.

Despite having played in only two post-season rounds, including the ongoing one, Tyrese Haliburton does not need to be told to not get ‘chippy’ or ‘personal’ with rival players. The player has seldom gotten into any on-court fights (his father has, though). Haliburton’s tolerance at listening to insults seems to be high, given that this is the same player who does not care what the media has to say about him.

Tyrese Haliburton reveals not minding the media’s narrative about him: “I’d rather have this issue”

Just like any other NBA player, Tyrese Haliburton is not immune to criticism. The 25-year-old has been receiving flak from the audience and pundits off late.

A week before the Cavaliers series, The Athletic’s anonymous player poll named Tyrese Haliburton the NBA’s most overrated player, a label that trailed him into the playoffs. Cleveland fans echoed this sentiment, chanting “overrated” during his Game 2 free throws, prompting Donovan Mitchell to gesture for them to stop. Haliburton’s three-point shooting percentage for the 2024–25 regular season was 38.8%, slightly down from 40.1% in the previous season, fueling critiques of his $260 million contract. Yet, in Game 4, he silenced critics by delivering 28 points, 10 assists, and 4 rebounds on 10-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range, proving his worth.

He was named the most overrated player in the NBA by players, received massive “overrated” chants at the arena and on the internet, etc. Plus, it did not help when his father and Giannis Antetokounmpo got into a verbal altercation after the Milwaukee Bucks’ elimination. However, the Pacers star recently made it clear he does not care what people have to say about him.

During the same presser, the Pacers star said that he gets “paid a lot of money to play a child’s game”. He loves what he does, and does not even look at it as a job. As for the commentary that goes on about him, “I mean it’s hilarious, because a lot of times it’s people who know nothing about me have so much to say. It’s usually the people who you know don’t come around, or don’t spend any time around me, that have the most to say”. However, he accepts it is all part of the job.

“It’s all part of it, man. But it’s just basketball, and I, uh, I guess I’d rather have this issue. I’d rather have you guys talking about me positive-negatively, talking about me, than not care who I am at all,” said Haliburton. “So, I mean, life’s good”.

Many people believed that the constant criticism was the reason the player had not made himself available to the media after Game 3, aka the matchup[ in which he made just 3 points. However, Haliburton made it clear that “I wasn’t really in the mood to speak”. He also sent a message to those who criticized him over this move by stating, “If that’s a problem, you know, you guys are more than will….l mean, obviously, you guys are more than willing to talk about it. So, keep having commentary around it. I’ll continue to do what I do and live my life the same way”.

Not every player holds a tolerance level like Tyrese Haliburton. With any luck, the same keeps on assisting him as the Pacers star comes closer and closer to achieving the first Larry O’Brien trophy of his career.