“Sit him down”: Kendrick Perkins sparks outrage after blasting Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 5 injury in NBA Finals

Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City delivered more than just on-court drama. It gave fans a moment of concern—and outrage. When Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton limped to the locker room in the first quarter with visible discomfort in his right calf, the situation was already tense.

But what truly ignited social media? Kendrick Perkins’ blunt criticism of Haliburton’s performance and his suggestion that the All-Star guard was “playing scared.” The backlash from fans online was swift and unrelenting.

Kendrick Perkins sparks uproar with halftime criticism of Tyrese Haliburton’s injury

Tyrese Haliburton exited the floor late in the first quarter on Monday night, June 16, visibly limping. Though he returned to the court early in the second, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins

didn’t hold back during the halftime broadcast.

“Sit him down,” Perkins said on national TV. “Sit him down because I don't want to hear anymore excuses.”The former NBA center wasn’t done there. Still addressing Haliburton’s performance, Perkins continued: “If you're on the floor, you need to produce. Because this is the NBA Finals and this is Game 5.”He concluded by accusing Haliburton of being passive, saying, “He's going east-to-west instead of north-to-south.”

That commentary, delivered live from the halftime desk, didn’t sit well with NBA fans—especially given the nature of Haliburton’s injury. Many pointed out that calf strains can be serious and have even preceded career-altering Achilles injuries.

Kendrick Perkins faces fan fury for blasting injured Haliburton during NBA Finals Game 5

As soon as Perkins’ remarks aired, fans lit up X in defense of Haliburton—and aimed the analyst’s own NBA legacy.One user clapped back by highlighting Perkins’ own underwhelming Finals stats: “I would pipe down,” basketball journalist Ahmar Khan wrote, posting Perkins’ NBA Finals numbers alongside his quote.

Another user shut down the idea of a “narrative” altogether, crediting Haliburton for carrying Indiana to the Finals: “Man F*CK the narrative. The only reason people think there’s a narrative is because Kendrick Perkins of all people is talking to us. Tyrese Haliburton carried a team to the Finals off of clutch plays… I don’t need anyone to tell me what I saw.”

One user poked fun at ESPN’s chaotic halftime coverage with a sarcastic scenario: “And now we take you to the ESPN halftime show where Kendrick Perkins and Stephen A Smith are yelling over each other about why Tyrese Haliburton should be benched for the remainder of the game.”

Another called out the dangerous precedent of criticizing players fighting through injury: “KENDRICK PERKINS on national TV saying Tyrese Haliburton is playing soft and he doesn’t wanna hear excuses when he has a calf strain and we’ve seen 3 All-NBA players’ Achilles obliterate because of calf strains and playing on them… pls get these people off my TV man.”

And one summed up the absurdity of the segment, dragging both Perkins and Stephen A. Smith in one shot: “Kendrick Perkins saying Tyrese Haliburton is scared & Stephen A mistakenly saying he’s glad Tyrese has an injury completely sums up the stupid that is on that Halftime Show.”

Also Read: “Dumb and Dumber” — Indiana Pacers fans trolling ESPN analysts Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins during NBA Finals Game 4 go viralKendrick Perkins has never been shy about voicing strong opinions, but his Game 5 takedown of an injured Tyrese Haliburton crossed a line for many. While the Pacers star fought through pain to help keep his team in the Finals, fans felt the ESPN analyst was far too quick to dismiss the physical toll of the moment. And with the spotlight burning bright in OKC, it wasn’t just Haliburton under pressure—Perkins found himself in the hot seat, too.