It’s a pretty safe bet that no NBA player’s star has shined brighter through these playoffs than that of Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers.

Haliburton has hit so many big shots in so many big moments that it is getting difficult to track all of them, and his performance in clutch time has caused many basketball fans and media members to reconsider where Hali ranks amongst the best players in the league.

The “superstar” debate is one that has been ongoing. Dwyane Wade seems to think that Haliburton has earned the title, while ESPN’s First Take needed to break out a dictionary to address the question.

Bomani Jones shared his take on the Haliburton superstar debate on Monday, arguing that Haliburton’s performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and more importantly, the public’s reaction to that performance, was proof that Hali had not yet made the leap to superstardom—though he said he still has plenty of time to get there.

“He had something like three points, three rebounds and a couple of assists at halftime of Game 2. Finished it with 17 points. That is not superstar behavior,” Jones said. “We are not treating him like he is a superstar, because we would be savaging him in an entirely different way if he were an actual, factual, real-life superstar.”

Jones also critiqued the current state of the debate in general, making clear that his comments were not a shot at Haliburton, but rather a reflection of the calibration of the term superstar, which by its nature, must be reserved for the best of the best.

“Saying that somebody is not a superstar is not an insult. Saying someone is an superstar is the highest praise,” Jones explained. “We cannot exist in this binary place where it’s only high praise and slander.”

Jones is right on the money here. If LeBron James, for example, had a first half like Haliburton did in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, it would lead every debate show every day until Game 3. While Haliburton did catch some flak for his lackluster performance, the game was generally seen more as a case of the Thunder getting their groove back.

Superstardom almost comes with a promise that unless there are extreme circumstances pointing the media elsewhere, you are the center of attention. Haliburton has shined in the spotlight in the biggest moments of these playoffs time and time again, but he still has some time before that spotlight follows him regardless of how well he plays.

More NBA Finals on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bomani Jones Says Game 2 Showed Why Tyrese Haliburton Is Not Yet a Superstar.

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