Stephen A Smith Makes It Abundantly Clear That Tyrese Haliburton Derangement Syndrome Is Currently At An All Time High

Gregory Shamus. Getty Images.

Just 6 days ago, I wrote this blog talking about how sad it is that people continue to be extremely weird when it comes to discussing Tyrese Haliburton as a basketball player and his standing in the league

The best way I could describe it was basically the Pacers version of Jayson Tatum Derangement Syndrome. People simply lose their brains when it comes to that player. Despite what they see unfold on the basketball court with their own eyes, their delusion about that player prevents them from being normal. Instead, they choose to be weird.

Not that we needed any further evidence that Tyrese Haliburton Derangement Syndrome exists, but coming off what was objectively one of the most impressive playoff performances in the history of the NBA 

you would think that a lot of these people would just take the L on the chin and admit they were wrong about the player and perhaps were just caught up in being weird about him.

But that's the thing about this type of derangement syndrome. When you suffer from it, you can't help yourself

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I get it, it's Stephen A Smith. A butthurt Knicks fan who is most definitely upset that Haliburtion has bent his Knicks over and completely taken over the series. I get that he has a role to play and this is all part of the script, but again, this was the same Stephen A Smith just a few days ago talking about another point guard in this series who he was quick to label a "superstar"

You can tell this is classic Tyrese Haliburton Derangement Syndrome simply because of the rationale being used here. Consistency? I'm sorry, are the Pacers not in back to back Conference Finals? Has Haliburton not been a consistent All star? Has he not made back to back All NBA teams? 

Just flip this around to the other PG in this series (who Stephen A says is a superstart). If the Knicks made back to back ECF, if he was a back to back All NBA player, and a player who just showed up like THAT to basically punch his team's ticket to the Finals, would there be any discussion if that player was a superstar? Of course not!

And sure, if you feel like "superstar" is thrown out there too easily, fine. But that's not what is happening here. We are seeing players without the production and the resume like Haliburton, who are talked about as superstars, yet for some reason, people are weird when it comes to admitting the reality we're experiencing, just because it's Haliburton.

This is why I say it's the Pacers version of Jayson Tatum Derangement Syndrome. It's the exact same playbook that anyone who is not suffering from this disease can see. You know you've truly arrived when you have a playoff run like Haliburton is having, and then this is the discussion on ESPN the next day. It's the Tatum 2024 run all over again. 

As a Pacers fan, I would just advise you to not let this stuff bother you. Take it as a sign of respect. They don't do this shit to nobodies, and as someone who has lived through it, all this tells you is you have one of them ones. A true franchise player who rises to the occasion in the postseason, who steps up in big moments, and more importantly, one who wins. People are aware the Pacers are 45-17 since January 1st correct? This is not a fluke, this is not an accident. 

But with that success, comes the development of Tyrese Haliburton Derangement Syndrome. For some, it may reach a stage where there is no known cure. If the Pacers somehow pull this off and win the whole thing? We'll see brains melt in real time, which is sneaky what I'm hoping for.