Tyrese Haliburton
Fresh off another All Star selection and winning the AT&T 2024 NBA Skills Challenge contest, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton ascension to All-Star status did not come over night but through hardwork, sweat equity and skill.
The wiry and gritty point guard out of Iowa State University commanded the media room attention prior to kickoff off of NBA All Star Weekend on Saturday, just as he has done as an underdog and overachiever in this league.
According to Haliburton, the guard expressed his desire is to play for Team USA in the Summer 2024 Olympics.
“Well, I’m not on the team yet,” said Haliburton in a humble tone to the media. “But if I am on the team it will mean the world to me.”
Quietly said but not spoken, Pacer fans are hoping Haliburton could one day lead the franchise to its first ever NBA championship in league history.
With three ABA titles under their belt, the Pacers organization might deem Haliburton as the greatest Pacer of all time if he could accomplish this feat in a small market.
Remember, Reggie Miller once tried, and the Pacers fell short against Jordan and the Bulls in game 7 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. Yes, Jordan and the Bulls stopped Miller, but who will stop Haliburton? Stay tuned, to be continued.
Haliburton bio:
According to his bio, the point guard played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the Sacramento Kings 12th overall in the 2020 NBA draft. In 2022, Haliburton was acquired by the Indiana Pacers as part of a trade package for Domantas Sabonis. He earned back-to-back East All-Star selections, as a reserve in 2023, and as a starter in 2024.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
