Knicks superfan Stephen A. Smith downgrades Tyrese Haliburton in brutal comparison to Jalen Brunson

Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith got real about the comparison between Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton. Smith, who is also a fan of the New York Knicks, tried to justify his belief that Brunson is many levels beyond Haliburton.

While both stars have carried their team to the Eastern Conference Finals this season, Smith believes that the load was heavier for Brunson. The analyst shared his thoughts on Monday’s episode of First Take.

“(Jalen) Brunson is (a superstar). Not (Tyrese) Haliburton, Smith said. “He is not overrated, he can play and he can close and I give him mad credit for that. But he’s not a superstar.

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"When you consider the undersized Brunson, the load that he carries ... (Haliburton) isn't asked to do as much to carry (the Pacers') offense as Brunson does."

Smith shared that it's due to the Indiana Pacers having more depth as a team versus the New York Knicks. While the Knicks technically have all positions filled, they aren't necessarily the biggest team.

Tyrese Haliburton invites Pacers superfan to Game 4 of Eastern Conference Finals

Tyrese Haliburton made a sweet gesture to an Indiana Pacers fan after he got bullied in New York. A clip of Pacers fan Hanz Perez went viral on social media when Knicks fans threw garbage bags at him for wearing a Haliburton jersey in New York.

While what the Knicks fans did was cruel, Haliburton made sure to reward Perez after going through a horrible experience. During a segment on the Pat McAfee Show, McAfee himself got hold of Perez over the phone to discuss what took place in New York. Haliburton then joined the call to invite Perez to Indiana personally.

Tyrese Haliburton made Hanz Perez's day after promising him tickets to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. To add the cherry on top, the Pacers star also promised to fly Perez and a plus-one out to Indiana.

Game 1 of the ECF will commence on Wednesday. Both teams have had enough time to prepare and rest. It'll be interesting to see which young star will prevail in their biggest matchup of their careers so far.

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Itiel Estudillo

Itiel Estudillo is an NBA journalist at Sportskeeda. He played for his basketball teams during elementary and high school. With strong sports writing and journalism skills, Itiel excels in crafting engaging narratives and staying updated with the latest NBA news and trends. He enjoys fact-checking, helping with research, and being a fresh set of eyes on fellow writers' articles.

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