Christian NBA Star Tyrese Haliburton Finds Peace in Scripture amid Harsh Criticism
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton credited his faith in God after NBA players anonymously voted Haliburton "most overrated." According to Sports Illustrated, Haliburton received loud chants of "overrated" during an April 29th round one playoff game against the Cavaliers, in which he made the game-winning shot, winning the game 120-119.
"I didn't know we had beef…. Good for them. That came out of nowhere. I think now that that label is there, it's going to be that every time we play somebody on the road," Haliburton said in a post-game interview. "It'll probably follow me until the next poll comes out. We'll see if I am No. 1 again. I control what I can and yeah, overrate that."
“Overrate that” 🗣️
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 7, 2025
Hali had a message for Cavs fans chanting “overrated” at him 👀 pic.twitter.com/AyN3Fx5nhK
Additionally, a poll by The Athletic found that Haliburton's peers voted him the most overrated player in the league.
In a post on X, NBA megastar Lebron James came to Haliburton's defense, saying, "Where the lames who said he was overrated??!!" He further described Haliburton as quiet and nice, "and even more someone everyone would love to play with!"
Hali fkn hooping!!!! Where the lames who said he was overrated??!! Quiet as hell. That boy NICE and even more someone everyone would love to play with! 🧠 🏀 @mindthegamepod
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 14, 2025
Haliburton also led his fourth-seed Pacers to defeat the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers, the East's top seed.
An outspoken Christian, Halliburton, told Sports Spectrum in a recent interview how team chapel services played a significant role in his walk with God, describing them as "a big part of my success and, honestly, my sanity."
The Pacers point guard also shared that the Bible helps him remember "the bigger picture" outside of basketball.
"That 15 to 20 minutes I get every day to step aside and talk about what really matters, which is my Lord and Savior—I think it's very important for me," Haliburton said of the chapel services, which have also created a sense of community within the team's locker room.
Prior to last year's Paris Olympics, Haliburton placed God's Word at the top of his list of 10 "essentials" he can't live without.
"Over the last two years, my religion has become very important in my life," Haliburton, who won gold as a member of Team USA, explained, holding up a Bible. "Just understanding that I'm made in the image of God in a world where you have a bad game and they're killing you on social media, or confidence goes up and down, I can always come right here. This is my peace."
Haliburton also says the scriptures help him "realize that I'm created in [God's] image, and that only he has the authority to truly judge me." Despite his believing in well-known Bible verses like Philippians 4:13, he admitted, "I never read the Bible. Growing up, I [didn't] attend church or anything similar."
WATCH: 10 Things Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Can’t Live Without | 10 Essentials
In a 2023 interview with Andscape, Haliburton's father, John Haliburton, described Tyrese as "humble and very blessed."
"We give God the praise and the glory. Tyrese is nothing without the mercy of God. He knows how to handle it. He knows where he comes from," he added.
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/GQ Sports
Originally published May 19, 2025.
