Tyrese Haliburton: A Deep Dive into College Career and Beyond

Tyrese John Haliburton, born on February 29, 2000, is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. His journey to the NBA began with a promising college career at Iowa State University, where he showcased his exceptional skills and set a program record for single-game assists. This article delves into Haliburton's college stats, his early life, and his subsequent career in the NBA.

Early Life and High School Career

Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Haliburton is the son of John and Brenda Haliburton. His father is a basketball referee and former women's basketball coach, while his mother has been a constant presence at his games. Haliburton played high school basketball at Oshkosh North High School in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

College Career at Iowa State

Haliburton's college career at Iowa State University was marked by significant achievements and demonstrated his potential as a future NBA player.

Freshman Season (2018-2019)

On November 6, 2018, Haliburton made his college debut for Iowa State, contributing 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists in a 79-53 victory over Alabama State. He achieved a season-high 16 points in an 82-55 win against Omaha on November 26. A standout performance came on December 9, when Haliburton recorded 15 points and 17 assists, with only one turnover, in a 101-65 victory over Southern. His 17 assists set a new Iowa State record, surpassing the previous mark set by Eric Heft in 1974.

Throughout his freshman season, Haliburton averaged 6.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game across 35 appearances. He was one of only two NCAA Division I true freshmen, along with Zion Williamson, to accumulate at least 50 steals and 30 blocks.

Sophomore Season (2019-2020)

Haliburton continued to excel in his sophomore season, earning Big 12 Player of the Week honors on November 11, 2019. This recognition followed his performance in wins over Mississippi Valley State and Oregon State, where he averaged 13.5 points and 13.0 assists. On November 27, he scored a season-high 25 points, along with nine rebounds and five assists, in an 83-76 loss to Michigan at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Another significant achievement came on January 4, 2020, when Haliburton recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in an overtime loss to TCU. This was the first triple-double by an Iowa State player since Monté Morris in 2016. He was subsequently named Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time. Unfortunately, his season was cut short when he fractured his left wrist on February 8 during a game against Kansas State, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

NBA Career

Sacramento Kings (2020-2022)

Haliburton was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He signed with the Kings on November 27, 2020, and made his NBA debut on December 23, recording 12 points, four assists, three rebounds, and one steal in a 124-122 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets. Despite a solid start to his rookie season, Haliburton's time with the Kings was relatively short-lived.

Indiana Pacers (2022-Present)

In 2022, Haliburton was traded to the Indiana Pacers as part of a package for Domantas Sabonis. This move proved to be a turning point in his career, as he quickly became a key player for the Pacers.

2022-2023 Season

Haliburton's impact on the Pacers was immediate. On April 1, he scored 30 points against the Boston Celtics, although he fouled out in the fourth quarter, leading to a 128-123 loss. Just two days later, he tallied a near triple-double with 19 points, 17 assists, and nine rebounds against the Detroit Pistons, recording the most assists in a game by a Pacer since T. J. Ford in 2009.

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2023-2024 Season

The 2023-2024 season saw Haliburton elevate his game even further. On November 4, he tied a then-career-high with 43 points and added 12 assists in a narrow loss to the Charlotte Hornets. On December 4, Haliburton recorded his first career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 122-112 victory over the Boston Celtics. Three days later, he contributed 27 points, 15 assists, and seven rebounds in a 128-119 victory in the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament against the Milwaukee Bucks.

On December 28, Haliburton recorded 20 points and a then-career-high 20 assists with zero turnovers in a 120-104 victory over the Chicago Bulls. He became only the second player in NBA history to record 20-plus points and 20-plus assists without a turnover, joining Chris Paul. Two days later, Haliburton scored 22 points and recorded a career-high 23 assists during a 140-126 win over the New York Knicks.

2024-2025 Season

The 2024-2025 season has been a testament to Haliburton's continued growth and impact on the Pacers. On November 10, 2024, Haliburton put up 35 points and 14 assists in a 132-121 victory over the New York Knicks. He and Bennedict Mathurin became the first duo to each score at least 35 points in a game in Pacers franchise history. On January 2, 2025, Haliburton recorded 33 points, a season-high 15 assists, and zero turnovers in a 128-115 victory over the Miami Heat. He also became the first player in NBA history to have multiple games with at least 30 points and 15 assists with zero turnovers.

On March 11, Haliburton converted a four-point play with three seconds remaining to give the Pacers a narrow 115-114 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. On April 2, Haliburton recorded 22 points, 10 assists, and zero turnovers in a 119-105 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. On April 29, Haliburton recorded 26 points, five rebounds, nine assists, three steals, three blocks, and the game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds left in overtime to seal the Pacers' narrow 119-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks and eliminate the Bucks in five games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Exactly a week later, he scored 19 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and made a game-winning three-pointer in a narrow 120-119 come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the second round of the playoffs. On May 13, Haliburton had 31 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in a 114-105 closeout victory over the Cavaliers in Game 5, leading the Pacers to their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. Eight days later in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Haliburton recorded 31 points and 11 assists, including a clutch jumper to force overtime, in the Pacers' 138-135 comeback victory over the New York Knicks.

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Haliburton notably made a choke gesture towards the crowd after hitting the game-tying shot, which he initially thought was a game-winning three-pointer, in reference to former Pacer Reggie Miller's same motion after his infamous "eight points in nine seconds" play in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks. Miller was in the same building during the game as a commentator. In Game 4, Haliburton logged a triple-double of 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists in a 130-121 victory.

On June 5, in his NBA Finals debut, Haliburton posted a stat line of 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, and scored a game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left, as the Pacers completed a 15-point comeback to win 111-110 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the series. His go-ahead shot with 0.3 seconds left marked the latest game winner in an NBA Finals game since Michael Jordan's buzzer-beating shot in 1997. The following day on Get Up, ESPN sportswriter Brian Windhorst proclaimed that "Haliburton is unequivocally having the greatest run of clutch shooting we have seen in the history of the sport". In Game 3 of the Finals, Haliburton nearly tallied a triple-double with 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists in a 116-107 victory at home against the Thunder to gain a 2-1 lead in the series.

He had a dismal performance in Game 5, however, scoring four points in 34 minutes and missing all of his field goal attempts in a loss against the Thunder. The performance was perhaps affected by a right calf strain that he aggravated in the first quarter. Haliburton got off to a hot start in the decisive seventh game, knocking down 3-of-4 three-pointers. However, with 4:55 left in the first quarter, he suffered what was confirmed the following day to be a torn right Achilles tendon. Indiana struggled turning the ball over without their star point guard facilitating their offense, which the Thunder took advantage of, leading to a 91-103 Pacers loss and Thunder championship win.

Haliburton's injury was reminiscent of Kevin Durant's Achilles rupture during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, a game in which Durant made his return after missing nine games with a strained right calf. On June 23, following his surgery, Haliburton took to social media to share his positive outlook and to encourage fans, stating, "At 25, I’ve already learned that God never gives us more than we can handle. I know I’ll come out on the other side of this a better man and a better player. And honestly, right now, torn Achilles and all, I don’t regret it. I’d do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers."

National Team Career

Haliburton's talent has also been recognized on the international stage. He played for the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece. On June 30, 2019, he scored a team-high 21 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field, in a 102-84 group-stage win over Lithuania. Haliburton averaged 7.9 points and a tournament-leading 6.9 assists per game while shooting 69 percent from the field.

Haliburton was named to the 2021 USA Men's Select Team, working directly with the US Olympic Men's Basketball Team during training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Haliburton was selected to represent the United States Men's National Team at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Pasay, Philippines, at Mall of Asia Arena. Across eight games, Haliburton averaged 8.6 points, 5.6 assists, three rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.1 blocks, shooting 51% from the field and 47% from three-point range in 21.5 minutes per game off the bench.

Player Profile

Haliburton is a point guard who stands 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighs 185 pounds (84 kg). He is known for his exceptional passing skills, court vision, and shooting ability.

Personal Life

Haliburton is a cousin of former basketball player Eddie Jones, who had a 14-year NBA career and was a three-time NBA All-Star. Haliburton is a Christian. In 2024, he said, "My faith has grown a lot over the last year or two. Growing up we didn't go to church a lot, but we understood God's place in our lives. Now that I'm an adult I guess-I own a house now and live on my own-I go to church on Sunday every chance I can. Haliburton has been dating Jade Jones, who was a classmate of his and a cheerleader at Iowa State, since 2019.

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