Dame Time? Nah, It’s My Time Now. That’s the energy Tyrese Haliburton has been giving off. His bold taunt mimicking Damian Lillard’s iconic celebration after a dagger three in the 2023 In-Season Tournament ignited a fiery rivalry. And now in 2025, the tension has reached new heights. Even sidelined in Game 1 of the playoffs, Lillard clashed with Haliburton, earning double technicals. Their feud symbolizes more than ego. It’s a battle between rising stardom and veteran clutch, fueling a heated Bucks-Pacers showdown. From the In-Season Tournament to the playoffs, their duel captivates fans, proving the NBA’s competitive fire burns brighter than ever.

Tyrese Haliburton has cemented himself as a clutch player in the 2025 playoffs, delivering one icy performance after another. Whether slicing past Giannis for a game-winning layup or draining backbreaking threes in the final minutes against Milwaukee, he’s thrived when the lights burn brightest. And a former legend did not shy away from talking about it. On  the Road Trippin’ podcast, Richard Jefferson had some unusual insights on Haliburton’s swagger.

He said: “I don’t know what happens, but he’s like Cinderella. Cuz when that thing when it’s crunch time, all of a sudden, he turned into an all-star. He turned into a like the dude that everyone knows that he is. The first three quarters you like, ah, this dude, I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s that good. And then that last minute, two minutes, he’d be like, “Oh, y’all need me?” He like Clark Kent runs into the phone booth and comes out with the cape and says, “Man, I got y’all.”

He went on to talk about his “I’m different” energy which leads him to take up rivalries with players like Lillard. “He hits that first one against the Rockets and he hits the one against OK and all of a sudden you’re like, “Yo, this dude is different in the last minute.” And he knows it. So that to me is Tyrese Haliburton has always had this belief that he’s different. He always has. That’s why he’s willing to talk sh*t to Dame. That’s why he’s willing to talk sh*t to Giannis because he believes that if it gets into those last minutes, I’m different.” 

He wasn’t the only legend to display appreciation though. Kendrick Perkins was just on it. On it, wanting to find out who voted for Haliburton to be the “most overrated”. He said “Let me say this to to the players that voted him most overrated. Oh, they’re at home. Like, huh? They’re at home. No, no, no. Hold on, no, no, no, no. It’s It don’t matter. I just want to know their names. like put don’t don’t vote and we can’t see who actually voted and and like pilot. They don’t do that for voters.” And for Tyrese Haliburton, legends loving him like that shows that he has come a long way in his young NBA career.

The Big Aristotle’s Verdict on Tyrese Haliburton’s ‘Overrated’ Tag

Shaquille O’Neal has shut down the “overrated” talk surrounding Tyrese Haliburton, backing the Pacers star after his playoff heroics. On TNT’s Inside the NBA, Shaq fired back at an anonymous player poll labeling Haliburton as the league’s most overrated, declaring, “First of all, Tyrese Haliburton is not an overrated player. He’s a great player and plays the game the right way.”

Haliburton’s clutch gene has been undeniable, sealing games with ice in his veins. His game-winning three lifted Indiana past Cleveland 120-119 in Game 2 of the East Semis, just weeks after his dagger layup sent Milwaukee home in the first round. Big moments? No problem. Shaq didn’t just defend him, he put Haliburton’s game on a pedestal for aspiring players. “All the kids out there, the ones who can’t jump high or don’t have the Steph Curry form, watch him instill all that he does.” It’s high praise from a legend who knows greatness when he sees it.

From boos to buzz, Haliburton has flipped the narrative. Critics chanted “overrated”? Fine. He dropped buckets. Now, with Shaq in his corner and playoff wins piling up, the conversation isn’t about hype, it’s about respect. And he’s earning every bit of it.