When the Pacers been counted out these playoffs, Tyrese Haliburton has responded.
The Indiana guard added to his legacy with a game-winning shot in the final second of game one to clinch the win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was a legendary moment that has people asking, “what’s Haliburton’s secret?”
He revealed his secret in a cryptic tweet. It all goes back to 1989 and involves Spike Lee and Michael Jordan.
Haliburton’s secret behind clutch basket in game one
Haliburton took to ‘X’ after the game to share five simple words after his performance.
“It’s gotta be the shoooeeesss,” the guard posted more than an hour after the final buzzer.
There’s two meanings to this post. First, Haliburton’s shoes for game one of the NBA Finals were special.
He debuted his first signature shoe, the PUMA Hali 1’s, during the biggest moment of his career. The guard rocked the Hibiscus colorway style which stood out as he took a deep midrange for the win with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Haliburton clearly believes his signature shoe elevated his performance.
Doesn’t get much better than this for a signature sneaker debut 🔥😮💨
Tyrese Haliburton with the game-winner in his PUMA Hali 1’s 😳 https://t.co/6nsR8mMfhp pic.twitter.com/nCleRxa6tI
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) June 6, 2025
But it goes even deeper than that.
The phrase “it’s gotta be the shoes” originates from a 1989 Nike commercial where Spike Lee and Michael Jordan promoted Jordan’s signature shoe.
Lee plays a character named “Mars” who pesters Jordan about why he’s such a proficient basketball player.
Mars repeatedly asks Jordan, “Is it the shoes?”
Each time the legend denies that its the shoes but by the end of the commercial, Mars insists “it’s gotta be the shoes.”
If you want to read between the lines, Haliburton could be comparing himself to MJ. Referencing the timeless commercial could draw similarities between Jordan’s and Haliburton’s clutch plays and signature shoes.
Whatever the reason, Haliburton has been nothing short of appointment television this postseason.
If it really is the shoes, they’ll be flying off the shelves.
MORE: Pacers had 1 in 75 million chance of completing all these insane playoff comebacks
