OSHKOSH (WLUK) — An NBA star was back in his hometown Friday, inspiring the next generation of basketball players.
Tyrese Haliburton, an Oshkosh native turned two-time All-Star with the Indiana Pacers, hosted a youth camp at his alma mater, Oshkosh North High School. It’s where he helped lead his team to their first state title back in 2018.
More than 150 kids in grades 1-8 participated in the camp, which featured various stations specializing in basketball fundamentals.
“Anytime I get to come back to Oshkosh, it’s a lot of fun for me, and so to not only just be here, but to be around the kids and get to give back always means a lot for me, so it’s an exciting day and I’m happy to be home,” Haliburton said.
Haliburton was sporting a walking boot on his right leg during Friday’s drills as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered in Game 7 of this year’s NBA Finals.
Now 54 days removed from the injury, Haliburton shared how he’s doing, both physically and mentally.
“I have good days and bad days. I think when you look back on the year that was and how special it was, that means a lot for me. I had a lot of fun. I got to grow myself as a player and person every day and chase my dream of winning a championship. Obviously we fell short and I’m dealing with rehabbing this right now, but when I am able to get back to 100%, the chase continues, so that’s the exciting part for me. It’s been up and down, but I’m finally walking without the use of crutches or a scooter or anything, so that’s exciting for me. I wanted to make sure that I was able to at least walk a little bit by the time that I was able to be here,” Haliburton said.