Tyrese Haliburton Gives Surprising Answer For His MVP Pick

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Tyrese Haliburton sits on the sideline. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Injured point guard Tyrese Haliburton fell one game short of winning the NBA Championship for the Indiana Pacers last season and got hurt for his troubles. Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals to rule him out for this season. However, the popular guard is still quite active in giving his opinions and sharing thoughts during games via social media and interviews.

Haliburton gave an unexpected answer when picking his MVP winner during an interview with Amazon Prime Sports:

“If I had a vote it for sure would go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for back to back. I think what Wemby is doing in San Antonio is amazing. I would vote for SGA. I see the campaign that’s going on for him and it’s with well reason, but I would definitely vote for SGA.”

Haliburton picked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his front runner for MVP. The campaign for Victor Wembanyama was referenced by Haliburton, but he ultimately felt SGA should get the nod over him. Current betting odds see Gilgeous-Alexander as the strong favorite, and it will be surprising if anyone is able to pass him before the season ends. Wembanyama made his argument to convince some voters, but it’s still SGA’s award to lose.

Why Fans Are Surprised By Haliburton

Last season’s grueling series between Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder gave the latter their first NBA Championship in OKC. Haliburton literally gave his all by playing injured and suffering a more severe injury that is still impacting his career.

Many players would not easily give this much respect to a rival that he competed against with a championship on the line. To his credit, Haliburton kept it honest and didn’t shy away from revealing that he thinks Gilgeous-Alexander is having the best season worthy of an MVP trophy.

Indiana’s guard has shown nothing but respect towards the Thunder, despite having reason to feel bitter about losing after getting injured. Haliburton believes the Pacers would have won the title if he didn’t hurt, but he is not going to punish Oklahoma City players for winning the game.

What To Expect From Haliburton Next Season

Indiana had a strangely designed best-case scenario of being the worst team in the league. The Pacers have a strong chance to land one of the top three major prospects and will at worst get a very talented young player from the draft lottery.

Pascal Siakam and the strong list of role players remain on the team for strong help, but Indiana acquiring Ivica Zubac via trade confirmed they’ll have another dynamic to the team. Pacers fans will have five trusted starters and add a valuable rookie to that core for greater depth.

Indiana should be viewed as an outside contender for next season, especially if Haliburton looks like his usual self. Haliburton will have plenty of options to pass to and that could lead to his best season yet. Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton will have some exciting regular season matchups, and their teams are talented enough to face off in the NBA Finals again one day.

Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford