T.J. McConnell dares doubters to ‘underestimate’ Tyrese Haliburton and Indiana again as he pens heartfelt note

The Indiana Pacers were so close to the ultimate glory last season. They were just one win away from finally winning their first title since the ABA-NBA merger.

Not only did they lose that game, but they also lost Tyrese Haliburton with a major injury that will keep him out for the upcoming season. And to add insult to injury, Myles Turner left in free agency to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks.

A divisional rival, of all teams.

That's why T.J. McConnell wanted to make something loud and clear. In an emotional post written on The Players' Tribune on Tuesday, the gritty backup guard let everybody know that this team isn't done fighting.

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"I'm not sure if that vibe is why we've been successful — but I do think it's part of it," McConnell wrote. "And I hope there's some comfort in that, especially as we look forward to next season, and have to hear about how our 'window is closed' or whatever.

"I mean..... maybe it is?? I guess it could be. This is a tough f***ing league. Or maybe nobody knows what they’re talking about. Maybe everybody is just mistaken again. Maybe they underestimated Indiana one more time."

McConnell embodies everything this Pacers group was. He's a relentless competitor and an emotional player who's going to do all the dirty work for his team.

He will put his body on the line on every single possession, and while he might not be the most popular guy or put up the flashiest numbers, he makes winning plays time and time again.

And with Haliburton out for the season, he might be the team's safest bet to pull the strings of the offense.

The Pacers can still compete in the Eastern Conference

Like T.J. McConnell wrote, there's just something about this team, and you can't count them out. Of course, losing Myles Turner was a big blow, and being without their star player is going to make it even tougher.

Then again, Rick Carlisle has proven to be one of the savviest tacticians in NBA history, and he just has a way to motivate his players, especially when they're underdogs.

Even without two-fifths of their starting lineup on the floor, this team should be able to make some noise in the East. They're tough, they play fast and more importantly, they play like a team that doesn't have anything to lose.

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About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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