When it comes to the growing “face of the NBA” debate, some of the most common names brought up are typically Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With the way the 2025 NBA Playoffs are panning out, Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George wants to make sure Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton gets his proper respect in the conversation.
On a recent episode of ‘Podcast P,’ George doesn’t believe Haliburton’s status as an NBA star should be debated. In fact, he thinks Indiana’s former trade acquisition has a legitimate case to be the face of the league over the other popular candidates.
“In my eyes, I think he is a superstar,” George said.
“He’s the face of the NBA. He is the No. 1 option. He’s a set-up, point-first, but he can be your late-game scorer. He’s been a clutch performer late in games. He can be an isolation player. That’s just not his calling. I want to see him continue to do this, which I know he will.”
The narrative surrounding Haliburton over the years has been a bit of a roller coaster. With the Sacramento Kings, he looked like a steal of a first-round pick, who was growing into a young star out West. After the Kings traded Haliburton during his sophomore season, he saw a slight boost in production for a 26-game stretch.
Then, during the 2022-2023 NBA season, Haliburton developed into an All-Star while leading the Pacers to multiple playoff appearances. Many thought he was worthy of a superstar label, others dubbed him one of the NBA’s most overrated.
This season, Haliburton is competing in his second Eastern Conference Finals run with Indiana. Although they came up short against the NBA Champions last year, Indiana has a 3-2 lead over the New York Knicks. With a win on Saturday night, Haliburton would be set to appear in his first NBA Finals—a feat that most of the other “face of the league” candidates haven’t grasped just yet.
George’s opinion is just from one player, and the narratives surrounding Haliburton certainly vary. However, what he does throughout the remainder of his current postseason run will certainly help shift the narrative in the right direction if all goes right for the young star.
