The 2025 NBA Finals features a matchup of two of the best point guards in the NBA today in Oklahoma City Thunder star and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton. Both also took part in last summer’s Olympic Games with Haliburton playing a minor reserve role on Team USA where he got the opportunity to team with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, among others.
While Haliburton didn’t get a bunch of minutes on what was arguably the most talented basketball roster every put together, he did get to be around and learn from some of the greatest players ever. And in the latest episode of the “Mind the Game podcast” with Steve Nash, James had a lot of praise for the Pacers star:
“Just a great person man, great kid. Didn’t matter if he was playing or if he got the opportunity, he was the same guy every single day. And you could see that his mainframe was soaking in all the knowledge and the details, being around all of us. And he was just super appreciative every single day. Never changed his mood. When we had practices and we was doing 5-on-5 and maybe it was a practice where some of the older guys didn’t go that day, he was ready to go. If it was a moment in a game where he was called, he was ready to go. But just a great kid, like every single day was the same person, joking, laughing, high-spirited. You look at what’s going on with the Pacers throughout the regular season and now, throughout the postseason, you get it. You get why they are the team they are and it stars with the head of the snake, we know that, and that’s with Hali. You can gravitate and bring energy and love and would run through a wall for certain guys. And he’s a guy that you would do that for just because of how he plays the game. I’ve seen a couple guys like, ‘they’re going into a hostile environment, he shouldn’t have a smile on his face,’ and I’m like this is who he is. Why are we always trying to change people because this is what you say the narrative, or this guy should look like this? Everyone’s preparation is different. Everybody is different. But Hali is one of them ones. And the success is not happening just because it came out the blue, it’s happening because of Hali and that team, they’re built perfectly for that group.”
Some may look down on players who are on the Olympic roster but barely play, but there is still a lot that can be gained from being around the likes of James, Curry and Kevin Durant. Learning how they train, certain tricks of the game, there is plenty that can benefit someone like Haliburton and he took advantage, learned and improved, and now has the Pacers on the brink of an NBA Championship.
They are certainly underdogs against the Thunder who had the best record in basketball this year. But Haliburton has led the Pacers against plenty of favored teams before and it sounds like LeBron wouldn’t be surprised at all if he is able to lead his team to an upset.
Lakers superstar LeBron James trolls critics of Mind the Game podcast
LeBron James started the “Mind the Game” podcast, initially with now-Lakers head coach JJ Redick, but now with future Hall of Famer Steve Nash, as an alternative to much of what basketball coverage in the media has become. Many were skeptical about the podcast succeeding, but LeBron has proved many wrong and now he is basking in that success.
In fact, the Lakers star took to social media, posting a video in which ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is explaining why the podcast wouldn’t work, followed by all of the comments and views from fans loving that they are talking about the game of basketball itself, and not all of the extra stuff.
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