Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Sends Message About Tyrese Haliburton After NBA Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Sends Message About Tyrese Haliburton After NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won this year's NBA championship on Sunday by dispatching the Indiana Pacers, 103-91, in Game 7.
Advertisement
It was a series that went longer than many anticipated, and early in Game 7, it looked like perhaps Indiana would become a true Cinderella team. But disaster struck in the first quarter when guard Tyrese Haliburton, its best player, went down with an apparent torn Achilles.
The Pacers, as they have done throughout the playoffs, continued to fight tooth and nail. But they turned into a pumpkin in the third quarter when they were outscored 34-20, and there went their season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the finals MVP, capping a sensational season for him. He joined ESPN's Scott Van Pelt after the game and had some very supportive and encouraging words for Haliburton.
"He's a hell of a player," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "His future is super bright. He can do whatever he wants with this league, and they'll be a really good team for a really long time."
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring with an average of 32.7 points a game, and he was recently named the regular-season MVP. While he shot just 8-of-27 from the field in Game 7, he made 11 of his 12 free throw attempts and had 12 assists to allow the Thunder to pull away.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0)Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
At the time of his injury, Haliburton had scored nine points and knocked down three 3-pointers in just seven minutes. He had come through in so many clutch moments throughout the postseason, but he fell victim to some of the worst fortune an athlete could possibly have.
Advertisement
If nothing else, he proved that he isn't overrated, as plenty of other players claimed in an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic in April.
Related: Warriors Turn Heads With Steph Curry Post on Friday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Real Madrid manager backs Antonio Rüdiger's claims of being racially abused during Club World Cup match
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said he believes Antonio Rüdiger's claims that his defender was subjected to racist abuse during the game against Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday, adding that a FIFA investigation is underway. Rüdiger and Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral clashed near the end of the match at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Los Blancos leading 3-1. The two players came close to one another before Rüdiger spoke directly to referee Ramon Abatti and pointed towards Cabral. After separating the players, Abatti was seen crossing his arms in what is part of FIFA's protocol against racist abuse. According to the FIFA website, the gesture is made when the referee 'observes or receives a report of abuse' and is part of its three-step process to combat racist abuse. The game finished moments later, with Real recording its first win at the Alonso said that Rüdiger had told him that Cabral had racially abused him. 'We support Toni and we'll see what happens. The FIFA protocol has been activated and we support him,' Alonso said. 'It's unacceptable and we believe what he said. They're investigating it now.' Following the game, Cabral denied making a racist remark to Rüdiger. 'It was a scrap, we collided, he gets a kick, he said that I hit him with my hand and then there was an argument and the referee made the sign of racism,' the 39-year-old told reporters. 'There wasn't anything there. 'It was only a word we say all the time in Argentina. We say 'c***n de m****a' (a profanity used to call someone a coward) all the time. I told him the same thing and it ended there. It ended a bit hot because as we were going to the dressing room, he was trying to challenge me to a fight and, well, in that moment you've got your pulse racing at a 1,000 (miles an hour) and we were both going towards the corner where the dressing room is and we argued a bit there, nothing more.' CNN Sports has contacted FIFA for comment. Pachuca head coach Jaime Lozano told reporters afterwards that he didn't know much about the incident. 'We didn't speak about that in the changing room. Yes, we spoke, but exclusively about the match. I haven't spoken to Cabral about this,' Lozano said. 'I cannot give you an explanation about it because this is the first (I have heard of) this news. Not justifying it at all, but I will speak with him and knowing him for a while, this has never happened with him or with any of these Pachuca players.' Rüdiger has been subjected to racist abuse in his career before, including for Real in 2023 and when he played for Chelsea in 2019. Writing in The Players' Tribune in 2021, Rüdiger wrote that 'nothing ever really changes' with racism in soccer despite anti-discrimination campaigns. 'There is an investigation, but nothing really happens. Every once in a while, we have a big social media campaign, and everybody feels good about themselves, and then we go back to normal,' the Germany international wrote. 'Tell me, why did the press and the fans and the players all come together to stop the Super League in 48 hours, but when there is obvious racist abuse at a football stadium or online, it is always 'complicated'? 'Maybe because it is not just a few idiots in the stands. Maybe because it goes a lot deeper.' CNN's Patrick Sung and Matias Grez contributed to this report.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Golden State Warriors help transform lives of incarcerated men through coaching program
VACAVILLE, Calif. — One day last fall, Ray Woodfork found himself being challenged to a fight by a fellow inmate half his age on the grounds of Solano State Prison. Woodfork would have been tempted not so long ago. The Golden State Warriors have helped turn him toward a different way of thinking.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle speaks out after wife's explosive abuse allegations
San Francisco Giants reliever Sean Hjelle made his first comments about his wife Caroline's accusations of abuse and infidelity when he said an official statement will be coming soon on the matter. "I don't have an official comment right now," he said, per The New York Post, after the Giants defeated the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, on Saturday. "I would like to talk to my agent, my lawyer. This has been something that has been going on for over a year now in terms of our relationship, our divorce, our separation and everything. I don't have any official comment right now, I just want to talk to the appropriate people to figure out what the steps are. I'm just taking it in stride right now." Caroline Hjelle posted a TikTok that went viral on Saturday when she wrote, "When my MLB husband abandons us on Mother's Day a week after this once I finally found [out] about his affairs and stopped putting up with his abuse, so I've been raising two boys alone." The text was over a video of Caroline Hjelle and their two sons. The Giants released a statement after the post gained traction, saying that they were "aware of these serious allegations." "We have been in contact with MLB. These type of allegations fall under this jurisdiction, and we won't be commenting further." Bob Melvin, the Giants' manager, also spoke about the allegations during a press conference ahead of the game against the Red Sox. "Obviously, we're aware of it," he said. "He told me about it last night. We talked to MLB. At that point, it's in their jurisdiction right now, so I really can't comment on it further." Caroline Hjelle also posted a cryptic message on her TikTok on April 8, as another video showed herself with their two sons. "No one would know an hour ago I was devastated by findind [sic] out all the lies," she wrote along with "#divorce." While Melvin said Hjelle would be available to pitch for the Giants amid this situation, he has not been on the mound over the last two games, including Sunday's 9-5 victory over Boston. The 28-year-old is in his fourth season with the Giants, where he has a 4.66 ERA over six appearances (9.2 innings) this season. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
