The Indiana Pacers are receiving a huge boost this season with the return of All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who missed all of last year due to an Achilles injury. Haliburton’s return has Pacers fans dreaming of a deep playoff run again, and it’s prompted some, like former NBA player turned ESPN analyst, Kendrick Perkins, to issue an apology to the former Iowa State star.
Two seasons ago, before Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to the NBA Finals and before he got injured, Kendrick Perkins was one of the voices who proclaimed the two-time All-Star as overrated. That was the same season when an anonymous NBA players’ poll listed Haliburton as the most overrated player in the league. And now, Perkins is forced to walk that label back.
“I was one of them that called him overrated two years ago. And I would like to issue a public apology, because young man, you are one of them,” Perkins said during a recent segment of NBA Today on ESPN. “When we start to talk about Luka and Jalen Brunson and these top dogs around the league, we have to mention this young man. He led a team to the NBA Finals. This man is one of the best leaders in the game, he’s a throwback guard … no one can question him in the clutch cause he’s proven that on the big stage.”
Article Continues BelowHaliburton officially made his return to the court during the Pacers’ first preseason game on Oct. 7. He finished with seven points, six assists, one steal and two blocked shots. He sat out the next preseason game after that.
But Haliburton bounced back in the Pacers’ third preseason game with a regular performance of 24 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.