Some Charlotte Hornets fans may not want to admit it, but Tyrese Haliburton is not overrated. He has the Indiana Pacers on the brink of a Finals appearance, and his most recent performance saw him tally his 11th game with at least 15 assists and zero turnovers.
Interestingly, his feat has had people on social media finding out that Muggsy Bogues put up such a stat line a total of seven times. To put the Hornets icon's achievement in perspective, two-time MVP Steve Nash also did it seven times. The only players to have recorded more were John Stockton (14) and Chris Paul (13).
Haliburton will likely catch up to the legends by the time he calls it a career since he is only in his fifth season. At least every time he adds one more such game, people will be reminded of Bogues.
Muggsy Bogues was the beacon of efficient playmaking
Of course, it's not that hard to forget the retired point guard. He holds the seemingly unbreakable record of being the shortest guy ever to play in the NBA.
Still, being 5-3 turned out to be a strength for the Maryland native. The only downside was that it may have prevented him from becoming a star. Even so, he was able to help Charlotte transform into a serious contender in the 1990s.
Bogues served as the floor general for a squad headlined by Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson. He guided the Hornets to three playoff appearances and regularly placed atop the assists leaderboard.
What made it more impressive was how he was able to avoid turning the ball over consistently. He averaged more than 2.0 turnovers per game in a season just once, and he would have been the only player in league history to finish a campaign with over 9.0 assists and under 2.0 turnovers per contest if it weren't for Haliburton joining him this year.
Unfortunately for Bogues, injuries caused his career to crash earlier than anticipated. He retired due to chronic knee issues a few years after Charlotte traded him in the middle of the 1997-98 season.
Hopefully, the franchise won't have to deal with another cornerstone point guard dealing with persistent injury concerns. For the third straight year, though, LaMelo Ball has been unable to suit up in over 47 matches. If he wishes to be on the same level as his draft classmate Haliburton, Ball will have to find ways to stay on the court more.