Lakers' star LeBron James praises former Olympic teammate who was labeled overrated

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered an early first-round exit from the postseason as they were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. That has given LeBron James the opportunity to view the game as a spectator rather than a competitor.

The four-time NBA MVP recently took aim at an anonymous player's poll from The Athletic, which labeled his Olympics teammate as the most overrated player in the league. James took to X during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers to praise Tyrese Haliburton.

"Hali fkn hooping!!!! Where the lames who said he was overrated??!! Quiet as hell. That boy NICE and even more someone everyone would love to play with! 🧠 🏀 @mindthegamepod"

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Haliburton was voted the most overrated player in the league, receiving 14.4% of the 90 votes casted. The Pacers guard has the team on the verge of a second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference Finals as they are just one win away from closing out the Cavaliers.

James' tweet came after Haliburton had a huge second quarter, knocking down five three-pointers. While many in the league find the two-time All-Star overrated, he has the support of the Lakers' star.

Haliburton had another strong regular season in 2024-25. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field, 38.8% from three-point range and 85.1% from the free-throw line.

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