Ex-Clippers Star Compares Tyrese Haliburton to LeBron James, Steph Curry

17-year NBA veteran Lou Williams had some intriguing thoughts about Tyrese Haliburton's status among LeBron James and Steph Curry

Mar 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Tyrese Haliburton has caught the NBA world by storm in the 2025 playoffs, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. After a historic playoff triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists without a single turnover, Haliburton and the Pacers are on the brink of advancing to their first NBA Finals since 2000.

The status of specific players around the league has sparked a discussion among media and pundits about who should be labeled a "superstar" and who should be considered just a "star."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led his team to a 3-1 advantage in the Western Conference Finals and just secured his first NBA Most Valuable Player award in the process. There is no doubt that he is a superstar in the NBA, but should Haliburton be placed in those conversations as well?

Former Clippers guard Lou Williams believes there should be tiers for how players are evaluated for those types of labels.

"I think he's a budding superstar along with a lot of our young All-Stars in the league," Williams said on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back."

He continued to talk about the pinnacle of the NBA, "Superstar is a different status. That is a perennial thing. That comes with impact, that comes with influence...in our business, you probably have about 4 to 5 superstars at a time and that's being nice...then you start talking about guys that are legacy acts - your LeBron's, your Steph Curry's."

Lou Williams says Tyrese Haliburton is a 'budding superstar' like SGA, Jayson Tatum & Luka Doncic 👀

Lou explains how there's 4-5 superstars at the 'pinnacle' of the NBA, such as LeBron and Steph Curry 🤩@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/iLm5XyEzAc
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 28, 2025

Haliburton is averaging more assists per game at 9.8, more rebounds per game at 5.9, and a higher True Shooting percentage at 58.6% than Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If there is any time for Haliburton to elevate his status in the league, this playoff run is solidifying it.

Clippers Legend Believes Team Will Make LaMelo Ball Trade

Clippers Urged to Make Trade for Ex-Lakers Guard

11-Year NBA Veteran's Interesting Description of Knicks' Tom Thibodeau

Related Articles