Chris Russo calls out Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton with ‘Jerry West’ admission

When Tyrese Haliburton led the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2024, he established himself as one of the brightest stars in the NBA. He might not be a megastar, though, at least according to Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo. The expressive sports broadcaster took offense to Haliburton’s recent questioning of why his return game won’t be on national television.

“He’s not Jerry West,” Russo started. “He got on a podcast, and he said he was shocked that my opener is not on national television. Are you serious? An Indiana team that won 15 games. You didn’t win a championship two years ago; you lost… The idea that he somehow thinks that the basketball nation – with San Antonio, and SGA, and Bron in Philly, and the Knicks winning a championship, the new-look Celtics – you mean to sit and tell me that you think you’re on that level? That your opening game against the Pelicans should be on national television? You are not on that level of a player, where you’re an iconic figure, where the world pays attention to you.”

Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo on Tyrese Haliburton saying he was shocked that his return game for the Pacers is not being broadcast nationally, via @FirstTake:

“He’s not Jerry West… you think you’re on that level that your opening game against the Pelicans could be on national…

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 19, 2026

The Pacers’ first game of the 2026-27 season will be Haliburton’s first since tearing his achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers would lose that game after losing their star, and they endured a rough season last year. With Haliburton back and Ivica Zubac now on the roster, the Pacers have high hopes for a bounce-back season.

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