It was a strange sight to see during halftime of Game 5 of the NBA Finals: ESPN analysts Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins hammering Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton for gutting it out through a calf injury. Before long, FS1’s Emmanuel Acho had joined them, making for two former athletes and a longtime journalist going the exact opposite direction of most sports fans when it comes to athletes playing hurt. Heading into Game 6 on Thursday night, Michael Wilbon is telling them all to “shut up.”
Back on Monday night during Game 5, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania joined the halftime show for a special appearance to report on Haliburton’s apparent calf injury (which was later diagnosed as a strain). In response, Smith and Perkins claimed he was hurting his team by being on the court at less than 100 percent health.
On The Facility, Acho called Haliburton “selfish” for trying to play and blamed the Game 5 loss on the star point guard.
As usual, Wilbon patiently awaited his turn to address the situation. Then on Thursday’s Pardon the Interruption, he excoriated analysts who made Haliburton’s perseverance into a negative.
“Haliburton, who I flat out admire for going out there and playing and anybody who’s critical of that effort to me is a fool, and I don’t want to see them in front of me because I might take a swing at them,” Wilbon said. “I don’t want to hear it. Haliburton has my admiration for playing … people should shut up. Athletes are to be admired when they do this kind of thing.”
Michael Wilbon on Tyrese Haliburton playing through injury in the NBA Finals: “Anybody who’s critical of that effort to me is a fool, and I don’t want to see them in front of me because I might take a swing at them. I don’t want to hear it.” 🏀 pic.twitter.com/HtjmKrUENk
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 19, 2025
Wilbon’s message came shortly after Smith completely flip-flopped on Haliburton, arguing that Indiana’s star must play in Game 6 because the team’s back is against the wall. The longtime PTI cohost and Washington Post columnist previously was a panelist on NBA Countdown alongside Smith and Perkins, but has not appeared on the pregame and halftime show during the Finals.
Filling in opposite Wilbon on Thursday, Frank Isola agreed and took issue with Acho’s take specifically (without naming him).
“The criticism of Haliburton playing, number one, you had people saying he was trying to be the hero,” Isola mocked. “He took one shot in the second half.”
True to the name of the show, Wilbon stepped in during Isola’s point to dig in further on the side of sports media that was critical of Haliburton.
Said Wilbon: “It’s just stupid. They’re fools. Don’t address them.”
In the segment, Wilbon and Isola highlighted a number of NBA stars who played hurt and were lauded for it, from Willis Reed to Isiah Thomas. Fans love to be dazzled by athletes, and performing while inhibited is one of the best examples of that.
Yet somehow, multiple top commentators — including during the game — turned Haliburton’s gutsiness against him.
Like only PTI and its hosts can, Michael Wilbon patiently waited for the news cycle to play out before coming down from the top rope to set his ESPN colleagues and rival analysts straight.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.