Indiana Pacers Star Wants Players to Come to Him, Not the Other Way Around
An extended stay in the Hoosier State might be on the horizon for Tyrese Haliburton. The Indiana Pacers star detailed his love for Indiana and the foreseeable future this week in an interview on ESPN. Haliburton has had a spectacular offseason so far and has now provided a clear picture regarding his long-term outlook on his career in Indiana.
Tyrese Haliburton Wants Players to Come to Him, Not the Other Way Around
Pacers Star Shows Commitment to His City
Mark it down—Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is adamant about which team he wants to play for the long term. The Pacers All-Star spoke at length with Pat McAfee on his daily ESPN show about varying topics surrounding basketball. They touched on his experience at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Pacers, and, more specifically, player recruitment.
McAfee and Haliburton discussed how recruiting has played a role in Halliburton’s career since becoming a Pacer. The forward didn’t shy away from giving an honest response.
“The story about me recruiting players to Indiana got blown out of proportion. They made it seem like I was the only one doing it, but everyone was recruiting. I just play in the smallest market, so when I do it, it gets magnified. That’s fine, though,” Haliburton said. “Indiana is a great market. It’s a basketball state. We’ve got a good thing going here, so if anyone wants to play with me, they’ll have to come to Indiana. I’m not going anywhere.”
What’s interesting about Haliburton’s explanation is that he may be one of few superstars in the NBA who aren’t willing to move cities to accomplish a star team-up. This mindset held by Haliburton has to be delightful news to the Pacers’ front office and organization as a whole. This may be fuel the Pacer’s front office can glean from in the future when hunting for free agents and trades.
