NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

December 8, 2023

Tyrese Haliburton

Indiana Pacers

Championship Practice Day

Q. You referred to Buddy as your brother last night, and he's one of the teammates you're especially trying to win for, to get to the Playoffs. He said you shared a plane ride after your trade here. What do you remember about that, and how special has it been to bond with him as you've grown to this point?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, it's funny, that flight, me, Buddy and Tristan, we got traded together. I was like distraught on that plane ride because I was still like in shock and pissed and all that stuff. So while I was basically sitting there scrolling on my phone, my head down, I had to listen to Tristan and Buddy telling me how bad the Kings messed up the whole time. I was like, can you guys just shut up, when I get there.

But no, I think our relationship is really funny because when I first came into the league, like my rookie year, I could not stand Buddy. Off the court we loved each other, but I hated playing with him.

Then we just grew closer and got to know each other more, understood each other more on the floor, and that's grown our relationship a lot. To still be with him and be teammates, he's the only guy I've been with since I walked into the NBA. Our relationship is really special, and I think everybody can see that.

Yeah, it's important for me to win games with him and get to the Playoffs. He's never been to the Playoffs. I've never been to the Playoffs. So it's important for both of us to do that.

Q. You bonded with Austin Reaves this summer in Team USA. What was it about him that drew you to him and vice versa, and how fun do you think it'll be to match up with him?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, that's my boy. I love AR. We competed against each other in college. I couldn't stand him in college. But we got to play with each other at USA and grew a really good relationship.

We've texted back and forth throughout the year, showing each other love. Just a guy I really rock with as a person and as a player. I think he's got a lot of game and gets a lot of love from the media and the basketball world for a good reason.

I'm excited to compete against him and excited to compete against the Lakers in general.

Q. I've read that you were a big fan of LeBron James growing up. Can you talk about how special it is for you to play against him tomorrow in a matchup like that. And also, you've played Boston, Milwaukee, now the Lakers with LeBron. Does it feel kind of the final monster of a video game, like he's just standing there, the final one?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: You're saying he's like the final boss? The first part of your question, like any kid born in 2000, LeBron was my favorite player growing up, and it's hard for him not to be for a lot of us. Growing up, I was a Cavs fan, then a Heat fan, then a Cavs fan again, then a Lakers fan before I got drafted. It's just how it went.

To be able to compete against him in a championship is kind of like a storybook a little bit, and it's going to be a lot of fun.

But that's the great part about being in the NBA is getting to compete against your idols on a nightly basis. I really look forward to that.

Then as far as the second part of your question, I just think for us, we're not supposed to be here and nobody expected us to be here. We've been probably looked at to lose the majority of our tournament games. The Philly game, we weren't supposed to win. Boston game we definitely weren't supposed to win. Milwaukee, we definitely weren't supposed to win. That's just been part of the storybook of this, and it's been a lot of fun. But it's not done yet. We've got to be prepared to go tomorrow and approach that game the right way.

Q. Rick compared you favorably to Steve Nash, not just in terms of game but in terms of temperament and the way you approach your teammates. Do you know enough about Steve Nash as a player to see maybe the parallels between you two as far as career roles? And just in general, your approach with your teammates and bonding with them?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, I think by the time I really started to pay attention to the NBA, Steve was past his MVP years. But at the end of the day, I think I'm a basketball historian so I've watched enough to know who he was. I think the game has obviously changed a ton.

I think he does some things that I couldn't do. I think I do some things that he probably couldn't do. But I appreciate the comparison.

Anytime you're compared to one of the all-time greats and an MVP, it means the world. I understand why people see the comparisons. We pass the ball really well, and both of our teams play at a very fast pace. I understand the comparisons, and anytime you're compared, it's really cool.

Q. LeBron has been the standard bearer for a long time and Rick said he's still in his prime. Do you have any idea who's next, who's the guy that's going to take that spot from LeBron, and is it something that All-Star players strive for? Is it a goal?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: I think at the end of the day, he is the gold standard of basketball players. Everybody obviously strives to be that.

As far as like whose job it is to take the reins from him, I don't really know if that's up for us to decide. That's like a media thing, to be honest with you. I think as players, guys are just going out there and doing what they're doing. I think we're at really like the peak of our sport right now. We've got some of the greatest players ever still in our league today, and there are things being done on a nightly basis that have never been done before. I think guys are prepared for whenever that time is. Only Lord knows when he's going to slow down. But I think the league is in really good hands for when that time does come, and whoever the face of the league is, that's not up for us guys to decide.

Q. Just watching you play, I go back to the workout that I went to with you and Drew Hanlon. You being able to play with your dribble, using your hesitation. Why do you feel like people can't get to that move, because you get to the paint all the time with that? Then also with your shooting form, you do a lot of rapid fire where you get your shot off super fast. Do people try to tweak your shot? Even with your percentages that they are, so efficient, do you feel like just telling players, you don't have to have the most perfect form to be able to shoot the ball at an efficient clip and get your shot off fast, as well?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: I think at the end of the day, the reason it works so well is because I have the ability to shoot. Just playing with a good pace, I feel like hesitation kind of can really dictate the pace that you play at. I can slow down, speed up, and I feel like change of pace is what makes great players in this league and just in basketball in general.

I feel like my shooting ability keeps people on their toes, on their heels rather, to know if they're going to step up or back up or whatever the case may be.

I feel like that's just been a part of who I am. The first move I ever learned was hesi right. I swear if there was a world where we could find my fourth-grade clips, it would be nothing but hesi right. I've been able to figure out crossovers and other things out of that and step-backs and things like that. I think that's what's made it hard to guard.

Then in terms of jumper and form and things like that, I don't really buy into all the what's a pretty jumper, what's an ugly jumper. All that stuff doesn't really matter to me, because when Steph came in the league, they said his jumper was unconventional, and they said it about me -- and still say it about me right now. I think as long as you put the time into it and have trust in it, and the more you can build your faith in your jumper, then the better.

I think that it's so overblown. It used to make me so mad during the draft when people were like, people are just going to block his jumper. This isn't a video game. I don't just press square and dude just block it in my face. I understand I've got to create separation and figure it out to get the jumper off.

I think you just have to figure out -- ultimately it's what works for you. Every player in the league, people say what Luka does on a nightly basis, oh, he's too slow. That's just dumb. I think there's many things like that that go on with guys where this isn't going to work, that's not going to work. But there's no way to quantify or be able to understand a guy's IQ and the work that they put in.

Q. A lot of folks have looked at this season and said it's only been 25 games or so. What have been the keys to the sustainability for you, specifically assist-to-turnover ratio, and what are going to be the keys to progressing and getting into the Playoffs?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, at the end of the day, it has only been 25 games or whatever. I'm understanding that, as well. It's not like I'm over here saying anything. I'm still doing the same thing. I'm getting in the gym, lifting, shooting before or after, whatever, getting body work, all those things that are needed to be sustainable throughout a season.

What was the rest of the question?

Q. What do you think it'll take --

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, yeah. I think just approaching it the right way. I think as a young group and as somebody who's never made the Playoffs, I've always viewed the NBA as looking so far ahead. Like, if we can go 10 and 5 in our next 15, whatever, I feel like that's a naïve way to look at it and it's a young view of it. I feel like you have to appreciate the process to get to where you're going. So it's approaching it one day at a time.

For me right now, it's today is Friday. I just got done with practice. I've got to do this media stuff, then I've got to go get some body work done and go to dinner, get some rest and be ready to go tomorrow. That's my approach to that game. I'm not worried about the road trip we've got coming up. It's understanding that's coming, but I think that you've got to fall in love with the process of getting there and not worry about ultimately getting there. You've got to fall in love with the process, and all the greats do that. They take it one day at a time.

That's just what I'm trying to do and understanding that, and ultimately by the time we get there, I think we'll be happy with our result if we just take it one day at a time.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

TYRESE HALIBURTON: I think just great teachers in general. I think I just had great teachers at every level and mentors and just the way I was raised, all of it.

Q. How much has accountability been a big factor for this team? Especially in the fourth quarter, guys were getting called out. Second-chance opportunities were huge. You all rose to the moment last night.

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, I think it's been talked about in every team sport ever. The best teams hold each other accountable. It's something we addressed before the season started in our meeting as a team. Just understanding that at the end of the day nothing is personal, and the faster that we can address things and get over things, the better it will be for everybody.

I think that we have a group of guys that all have great relationships. We're always, yo, you want to go to dinner, oh, I'm already going to dinner with so and so, come with us. I feel like that's helped a lot. We've got a lot of young dudes that get along, and the more we can hold each other accountable on things and get over it, the better it'll be. I think that has rang true for every high-level team in a team sport.

Q. I want to go back to what you said about the shot. Obviously you haven't changed anything from a form perspective. What's made it more consistent this year?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: The work. There ain't no secrets to it. I've been working. I think that the people in my life, my trainer, Drew, who I work with here at the Pacers, Isaac, they've just been on top of me to get in the gym early, stay after, make sure I'm doing the right things. Ain't no secret. I wish I could tell you there's a magic potion, but I'm just shooting the ball. I'm just spending more time working out, making things harder. Instead of going 7 for 10, it's 12 for 15, whatever the case may be. Instead of it's 20 out of 25, it's 22 or 23 out of 25.

There's no secret recipe to being successful at anything; it's just, work harder than people. I've been able to do that. I think that's a big thank you to the people who are around me and the ones who love me and want to see me do better.