Tyrese Haliburton is certainly making a name for himself during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He's taken the Indiana Pacers to heights not seen since the Reggie Miller days. His play has been so dominant that Pacers alum and former NBA star Metta Sandiford-Artest compared him to Utah Jazz legend John Stockton.
Sandiford-Artest, who was known as Ron Artest and then Metta World Peace during his playing days, explained why he sees the similarities between Haliburton and Stockton while talking with Lakers Daily's Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson.
“Tyrese Haliburton is special,” Sandiford-Artest told Robinson. “He reminds me of John Stockton — not the same type of player, but the same type of impact. He’s a Hall of Famer in the making.”
Surprisingly, Haliburton's playoff numbers won't jump off the page. He's averaging 18.4 points, 9.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds while shooting nearly 47% from the field and 33.3% from three. However, where Haliburton has thrived is proving through all four rounds that he's the one guy the Pacers' competitors don't want to see with the ball in crunchtime.
Stockton knew a thing or two about hitting clutch shots in the playoffs.
The Haliburton & Stockton comparisons aren't too far off
Stockton went on to become one of the best NBA point guards ever. He may not have won a title, but there's a reason why his name comes up among the best players who never won a ring. It's definitely too early to declare that Haliburton to follow in his footsteps, but it's far from ridiculous to suggest that he could and has already started.
Before the Pacers beat the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was revealed that Haliburton notched his 11th game where he put up 15 assists to go with zero turnovers. The only players ahead of him in this specific category were Stockton (14) and Chris Paul (12).
Note that both Stockton and Paul had impressively long careers, as they played in three separate decades. Haliburton is very close to them in this category, and it's only taken five seasons for him to do it.
While it's not like that proves that Haliburton is Stockton 2.0, it is solid evidence that he is a special player who could leave a legacy much like Stockton did when he retired from the NBA in 2003.
Sandiford-Artest was a bit of a character back when he played in the NBA, as he still holds the record for the longest suspenion in league history for charging the stands in 2004, among his other eccentricities. However, despite his reputation, he's not wrong about what Haliburton can do nor is he wrong to compare him to Stockton.
There is a solid chance that, much like the Jazz back then, the Pacers could be right in the title conversation for the next decade with Haliburton leading the way. All he needs is a Karl Malone-type to keep them there. He's already proven he doesn't need one to play on the NBA's biggest stage.