Kendrick Perkins has done a sharp 180 on Tyrese Haliburton, and he’s not being subtle about it.
After once tagging the Indiana Pacers star as overrated in 2024, Perkins is now making the case that Haliburton belongs in the game’s highest tier. That turnaround comes as Haliburton gets ready for his first season back after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. He sat out the entire 2025-26 campaign while rehabbing, and is now set to return this season after a full recovery.
Perkins addressed his earlier criticism directly during a recent segment of NBA Today on ESPN.
“I was one of them that called him overrated two years ago. And I would like to issue a public apology, because young man, you are one of them,” Perkins said during a recent segment of NBA Today on ESPN.
“When we start to talk about Luka and Jalen Brunson and these top dogs around the league, we have to mention this young man. He led a team to the NBA Finals.
This man is one of the best leaders in the game, he’s a throwback guard … no one can question him in the clutch cause he’s proven that on the big stage.”
He didn’t stop there. On Saturday’s Road Trippin podcast, Perkins went even further, putting Haliburton in his top 10 and making a bold pick for who he’d start a team with.
“He's a top 10 player in the NBA… Right now, Tyrese Haliburton if I’m starting a team… I would start a team with him over Kevin Durant… When we mention Luka Doncic… We need to f*cking mention Tyrese Haliburton,” Perkins said.
“He's a top 10 player in the NBA... Right now, Tyrese Haliburton if I’m starting a team... I would start a team with him over Kevin Durant... When we mention Luka Doncic... We need to f*cking mention Tyrese Haliburton.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 17, 2026
— Kendrick Perkins 👀 pic.twitter.com/fIqHfXV6Mv
The Pacers are hoping Haliburton’s return helps lift them back into the postseason after a brutal 19-63 season. Indiana finished with one of the league’s worst records and still didn’t land a lottery pick, with that selection instead going to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Indiana opens its season on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. ET.
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