The Indiana Pacers are on the brink of reaching the NBA Finals, leading the New York Knicks 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. A key reason for their success? Tyrese Haliburton’s electrifying performances throughout the playoffs. The young star has not only been a game-changer but also drawn comparisons to one of basketball’s greatest icons, Magic Johnson, thanks to praise from Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas.
The 25-year-old point guard has solidified his status as the Pacers’ leader, stepping up when it matters most. In Indiana’s pivotal 130-121 Game 4 win over the Knicks, Haliburton recorded a remarkable triple-double, tallying 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists, leading all scorers in the contest.
Haliburton’s rise to stardom makes his draft story even more compelling. Selected 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft, Haliburton was traded to Indiana after just 109 games.
Reflecting on his journey, Thomas suggested the Kings—and other teams that passed on him—overlooked his unique talents. He went on to compare Haliburton’s trajectory to Magic Johnson’s, highlighting how early critics misunderstood both players’ extraordinary skill sets.
Isiah Thomas compared Tyrese Haliburton’s run with Magic Johnson’s early days in the NBA. (Gregory Shamus/Tim Defrisco/Getty Images)
“He was coming out in a draft from Iowa. People said his shot was messed up, everything was wrong. But the thing you missed the most was how gifted he is,” Thomas said on NBA TV.
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“And the gifted players, and I’m gonna use Magic Johnson as an example,” Thomas continued. “Magic, they were saying that everything he did was wrong — the no-look, the shot was bad, this was bad. But what you missed when you’re evaluating talent is the specialness of the gifts that we’re watching and seeing“.
Rick Carlisle unlocked Haliburton’s potential
Thomas credited Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle for recognizing Haliburton’s unique abilities and building an offense tailored to his strengths—something the Kings failed to capitalize on.
“What Haliburton has done since he’s gotten to the league, he’s been so unique that they didn’t know what they had in Sacramento. And in the Draft, they did not know what they were looking at,” Thomas explained.
“He gets an old-school coach in Rick Carlisle, and Rick Carlisle goes, ‘Wait a minute, this is different.’ So they design a whole offense around his skill — passing, running, jumping, moving, fast, everything else,” he added.
