Iowa State Alum Tyrese Haliburton Drops Honest Truth About the NBA

Iowa State alum Tyrese Haliburton made a comment about how fans view the NBA game.

Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Iowa State alum and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton commented on how fans are watching and analyzing the game.

“The way the game is digested by the fans sometimes. I think it’s a lot of boxscore watchers," Haliburton said.

This is a noteworthy criticism, as fans often take to social media to react to the stat line a player has in a game.

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Haliburton finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and a block. The 25-year-old floor general shot 6-13 and 2-7 from three.

Looking at Haliburton's stat line at face value, it's not an impressive performance. While it wasn't his best game, Haliburton hit the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left in Game 1, completing the Pacers' 15-point fourth quarter comeback.

In the 2025 playoffs, Haliburton is averaging 18.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 46.6 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from three.

Although these numbers are good, they don't scream that Haliburton is a superstar. However, this playoff run has shown that Haliburton has emerged as one of the NBA's next superstars.

He has been very clutch, as he's hit four go-ahead or game-tying shots during this playoff run. The Iowa State alum is three wins away from winning his first NBA championship, and to see his impact, fans must watch the game, rather than the box score.

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