Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton expects to ‘learn and grow’ by sitting on the sidelines
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton discusses his role in the upcoming NBA season.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shared a clip of the upcoming season of “Starting 5,” a Netflix series that follows NBA players through the season.
Haliburton and Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and James Harden will be featured in the second season, which premieres on Thursday, Oct. 16.
Haliburton won’t play this season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in a Game 7 NBA Finals loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June. He has begun the rehabilitation process.
In the clip Haliburton shared, Pacers legend Reggie Miller comments on Haliburton’s willingness to risk that injury. Haliburton was fighting a calf injury through much of the playoffs but still propelled Indiana to season’s winner-take-the-title final game.
“All I will say is, look at Game 6, look at Game 7 of the NBA Finals. There will never, ever be a question about a guy’s heart, will, determination,” Miller said. “No one will second-guess any decision that he ever makes again. He risked it all. He risked it all for a franchise, for a state, for an organization.
“How many guys in life, how many women in life, are willing to risk it all?
“This comes back to a full-circle moment, to what it’s like to be a Hoosier and to play in Indiana? ‘I’m not playing for myself. I’m playing for that dude (pointing to his left). I’m playing for that dude (pointing to his right). And I’m playing for these people (pointing up, where fans would be in the stands).’ That’s what it’s like to be an Indiana Pacer. So thank you Tyrese.”
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That endorsement made Haliburton emotional.
“I’m going to work my ass off to get back there, and I’m going to do it in a Pacer uniform,” he said. “It’s very special for me. I wouldn’t change my decision (to keep playing) for a second.
“That means a lot (coming) from (Miller).”
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