Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton confronted Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O’Connor over a deleted tweet during a taped conversation, reading the post back and asking whether he still stood by the language he used after 2024’s Game 5 loss at Madison Square Garden. The exchange appears in a recent YouTube interview segment and centers on O’Connor’s now-removed criticism from May 2024. Haliburton opened by saying he had “a tweet” he wanted to read and noted it had been deleted. He cited phrases that labeled him “aloof,” said he “dilly-dallies around the perimeter,” “lacks aggression,” and is “too much of a cone on defense,” then added the tone sounded like a “shock-jock radio host.” He acknowledged he had a bad game but questioned the framing. The deleted tweet Tyrese Haliburton referenced While the original post is gone, the wording Haliburton read aligns with versions captured at the time by outlets that aggregated the tweet on May 15, 2024, the night of Knicks-Pacers Game 5. Those contemporaneous items preserved the text and embedded the tweet before it was removed. He also credited Haliburton for improving defensively since that series. Why it matters for Indy now This lands in the middle of Haliburton’s rehabilitation year. He tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and the Pacers have indicated he will miss 2025-26 while he recovers. He discussed perspective and staying involved with team culture during Pacers Media Day, and he has continued speaking publicly about rehab milestones and mindset in sit-downs this offseason. Framing the deleted-tweet conversation in that context shows a star comfortable addressing criticism directly while emphasizing growth. It also reflects O’Connor’s current platform shift after eight years at The Ringer, he joined Yahoo Sports ahead of 2024-25 which gives the exchange added visibility in that setting. What’s next Short term, the impact is cultural: Haliburton’s voice remains front-and-center while he rehabs. Long term, the basketball thread O’Connor raised shot diet and mid-range counters when teams chase him off the arc, plus sustained defensive engagement will be part of the checklist when Haliburton is cleared to return. Indiana will lean on Andrew Nembhard and added guard depth this season, but this exchange previews the scrutiny Haliburton will face once he’s back.
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/indiana-pacers/tyrese-haliburton-calls-out-yahoo-analyst/
