Tyrese Haliburton Reflects on NBA All-Star and What the Game Truly Means to Indy

Gainbridge Fieldhouse. February 2, 2023. Tyrese Haliburton is about to run out for starting lineups for a regular-season matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers when suddenly, something’s different. The news will be announced soon, but Tyrese is the first to know. For the first time in his career, and the first time for a Pacer since the 2020-21 season, he’s just been named an All-Star. 

At this exact moment in time, there are “a million things” running through his head. He can’t really focus, so instead, he dials in on the game ahead. Having just come off an injury that cost him 10 games, he goes out and drops 26 in a 1-point loss. When his on-court obligations are done and he has a moment to himself, he thinks back to what he heard hours prior. He’s an All-Star. 

“I had to kind of take a step back after the game and really breathe and sit in the moment and really appreciate how far I’ve come. [It was] definitely a special moment for me and my family,” he tells SLAM over the phone.

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 4: Tyrese Haliburton is available now!

For an Oshkosh, WI, kid who was a three-star recruit in high school to become an NBA All-Star seems otherworldly. But this is Tyrese Haliburton we’re talking about. His game has always been deemed unconventional. His Midwest charm has him come off as more of a homie than a celebrity—not just to fans, but to the media, too. When you combine exceptional talent with an unmatched work ethic and an ever-present smile, it’s no surprise that good things come his way. Really, really good things, even when, at times, things have seemed out of his control, like the midseason trade that sent him to Indiana in the first place, or even injuries. Today, he’s a walking double-double machine, one of the most fun players to watch in the L and beloved in the Hoosier State and beyond. 

I think the city of Indianapolis has been yearning for a guy that they can relate to and help lead the organization.

– Tyrese Haliburton

For Haliburton, Indiana isn’t just where he plays—it’s home. He’s embracing the city and the people and often takes old teammates or friends who are in town to his go-to spot, Savor, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Carmel. “I think people see me as, like, one of them,” he says. “I think that people can see that I can relate to the way that they grew up and the weather they grew up in and all that stuff. And then I think, like, [people say] ‘Midwest nice’ is a real thing and who I am as a person.”

And just as he’s shown Indy love, the city has shown him love right back. When we talked to Caitlin Cooper, an Indiana native and one of the brightest basketball minds in the game, who also runs a blog called “Basketball, She Wrote,” she admitted that Hoosiers haven’t always been the most excited to cheer on their hometown team…until now. 

“I can only speak to my experience, but basketball means a lot to Indiana,” she told us last summer. “But I wouldn’t say that NBA basketball has always meant a lot to Indiana. When I was growing up—I grew up watching the NBA because that’s what my dad watched—you would always say that’s where the best basketball players in the world play. That’s where I want to learn from. So that’s what we watched. [But] I didn’t know any other Pacer fans. And now I can tell you that you’re starting to sense a shift—I’ve talked to people who would have never talked to me about the Pacers before, and they’re like, I gotta get on the ground floor [of] this. They’re building something special and that Tyrese Haliburton is a really entertaining guy to watch.”

Haliburton feels it, too.

“I think the city of Indianapolis has been yearning for a guy that they can relate to and help lead the organization,” he says. “So I think that’s just been a really natural fit for me, [it’s] why I fit so well.”

Haliburton is playing even better than he was last season; he’s currently averaging 21.8 points and 11.7 assists per game, both career highs. His goal, as he emphasized in the cover story of SLAM 245, has always been to win, especially now. Accolades aside, he’s playing for something bigger than himself: “I think that for me, individually, I’ve accomplished what most people want to in their careers. I’ve gotten a big contract. I’ve been an All Star. I’ve done a lot for myself individually—more than I ever thought was possible. And so, now it’s about team success and wanting to win.”

And yet, the awards keep piling on. At press time, his name is sitting at the top of the All-Star voting returns for guards in the East, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect as Indianapolis hosts the All-Star Game for the first time since 1985. The city is hyped, and so is its franchise star, who will be suiting up in the game yet again.  

“I think you always hear people say, It’s not just basketball in Indiana. Like, it’s really a lifestyle, you know?” Haliburton says. “I think that’s what people are excited about: you see the court in the airport, how cool that is? That’s just a microcosm of how excited the city is. The cool part is that I think people who aren’t from Indy or [have] never been to Indy don’t understand how capable Indiana is of running large events. 

“Indiana has hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours. It’s more than capable. So, that’s the exciting part, too. I’m excited to see the city have success and people get out a little bit more in the city than they’re used to.” He also adds: “I’m really excited for the younger generation here, I think that’ll be cool for them to see.” 

When we put Tyrese on the cover of SLAM 245, the cover read “No Ceilings,” and now, looking back, it seems almost like a prophecy. Here he is, a star player reaching new heights yet again, putting on for a city that’s about to host the biggest weekend in basketball. We can only imagine how much he’ll be smiling come All-Star Sunday, when he hears his name called yet again. 

---

COP YOUR ALL-STAR VOL. 4 COVER TEES

Photos via Getty Images. Portrait by Marcus Stevens.