The In-Season tournament is raising the excitement levels of basketball fans and enthusiasts from around the world. With the Indiana Pacers making waves during the regular season, one name from their esteemed roster has caught the attention of people: Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton had already proven himself as an exceptional player during the 2022-23 season but his performances during the current campaign seem to have ascended to another level.

A few weeks ago, Haliburton’s Pacers faced off against the Atlanta Hawks. The game was a highly anticipated one since a victory for the Pacers would send them straight to the knockout stage of the In-Season tournament. That’s when Kevin Garnett made a big claim.

Kevin Garnett nominates Tyrese Haliburton for an elite honor

The Pacers point guard was unstoppable, dropping an astonishing 37 points and 16 assists. Haliburton made 9 of the 5 three attempted on the night. The player was able to make use of a poor defense to clear himself a path for a record-worthy score.

It didn’t take long for Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett to react to the news. Aside from discussing the player’s prowess on his KG Certified show, Garnett expressed his admiration for Haliburton by making a major declaration. Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Garnett put out a tweet that read, “Haliburton in that convo. What convo? Yeah… that convo” accompanied by a couple of emojis.

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Through his tweet, the former NBA star emphasized that Haliburton is on track to be in the conversation for the MVP this season. Given that Garnett has decades worth of experience with the NBA, both as a professional player and as a viewer and analyst, his vote of confidence would mean a lot to the Pacers star. This was further solidified after Indiana’s quarterfinal win over the Boston Celtics.

KG quoted his previous tweet about Haliburton and wrote, “Yeah, that convo.” The Pacers came out victorious over the East’s No.1 seed, the Boston Celtics 122-112. The 23-year-old was again the star of the show as he recorded his first-ever triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists.

In the process, the Pacers qualified for the Semis on Thursday night in Las Vegas against one of the Milwaukee Bucks or the New York Knicks.

Tyrese Haliburton continues to prove his worth

When Haliburton’s contract with the Pacers got extended at the cost of a whopping $260 million, the team probably expected to see some results from his end. In just a few months, the player has delivered on those results and more. His performance during this tournament has even compelled the author to side with Kevin Garnett’s comment and support him for the MVP position.

Before sending a message to the Celtics, the 23-year-old made waves after scoring a career-high 43 points and 12 assists against the Charlotte Hornets. While the Pacers ended up losing the game by one point, Haliburton’s performance was nothing short of commendable.

He performed breathtakingly throughout the games held in November. He averaged 27 points and 11 assists while shooting 51.9% from the field and 44.7% from beyond the arc as the Pacers went 7-7. Only two other players have managed to average 25+ points, and 10+ assists with 50/40 shooting splits in a month: the prime GOAT candidates Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Paul Pierce and Jaylen Brown spoke highly of the Pacers star

Despite having a rough start to the tournament, Tyrese Haliburton has managed to pull himself up and take the Pacers all the way to the semi-finals. Along with his efficient scoring skills, Haliburton’s basketball IQ and impact on team success help his credibility for the top spot.

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Kevin Garnett is not the only person associated with the NBA who has come out in support of the 23-year-old. During a conversation with the Celtics star, 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce admitted that he had “never seen this combination of shooting and passing” from any point guard in his lifetime. “The way he shoot and score, and his passing, at the point guard, is ‘elite’.” Pierce added during the interview.

Even Haliburton’s opponents have been left impressed by him. During an earlier game against the Celtics, Haliburton succeeded in drawing a foul on Jaylen Brown and using it to overcome a 105-105 tie.  Right before this particular game, Brown had come out to state that Haliburton is “definitely one of the young stars in our league.” The results of that close game would have definitely cemented his opinion.

The Final Verdict

Tyrese Haliburton’s ability to record Michael Jordan-esque numbers consistently has placed him on a high pedestal. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention his impact on team success as well.

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When considering the MVP award, however, anything could happen. Given the fact that it is still early days, the narrative can be shifted in favor of another player. The tide can turn if the Indiana Pacers do not succeed in clinching the In-Season tournament title. For now, however, it is safe to say that Haliburton is a prominent part of the MVP conversation.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.