“It's hilarious” — Tyrese Haliburton shuts down criticism with bold response after defeating Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4

Criticism has been chasing Tyrese Haliburton and partly his family after his father’s confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Although that story ended, Haliburton has been on the receiving end of a massive “overrated” chant from fans at the arena and online. However, the Indiana Pacers standout is not letting the negativity haunt his mind as he is poised and focused on bringing his team to win. After defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4, Haliburton shared his thoughts on the massive criticism surrounding his name.

Tyrese Haliburton reacts to the massive criticism of him

Tyrese Haliburton is not holding anything back, or rather, he is not letting any negativity hamper his mind. The 25-year-old guard recently had a chat with the press where he discussed whether the criticism surrounding his name was taking a toll on him. "It's just basketball bro,” Haliburton told the press.

"It's just basketball bro... I love what I do. I love my job... criticism is sometimes warranted, sometimes it's not... it's all a part of it."

Tyrese Haliburton on navigating stardom 👏 https://t.co/OqexoD1gox pic.twitter.com/NMiKR1ONju

— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2025

“I get paid a lot of money to play child’s game. So, I love what I do, I love my job. I don’t even really look at as my job, I have lot of fun with what I do,” he continued.

Adding on the criticism, Haliburton said, “I think there’s always commentary behind what I do, positive or negative, I mean it’s hilarious. Lot of time, people would know nothing about me so much to say. Usually people who don’t come around, don’t spend any time around me that have the most to say. That’s all part of it, I’m a basketball player, I love what I do. I love being in Indiana, love playing for the organization. I feel like criticism is sometimes warranted, sometimes it's not but it's all a part of it.”

He further shared that he will continue to do what he does and continue his job in the game despite the criticism.

Haliburton had a quiet but steady outing in the Pacers' dominant win. In just over 26 minutes on the floor, he scored 11 points while shooting 3-of-8 from the field, including 1-of-5 from three-point range. He was more effective at the free-throw line, knocking down 4 of his 5 attempts for an 80% success rate.

Also Read: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers (05/11): Box score, player stats, game summary and more

Haliburton also contributed in other areas, grabbing 5 defensive rebounds and dishing out 5 assists. While he didn’t record any steals or blocks, he committed just 2 turnovers and 1 personal foul. Despite the modest stats, he finished the game with a +27 plus-minus, showing his impact during key stretches of the game.