WESTFIELD — James Johnson has always been there for Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
After most games last season, the former Pacers forward would wait for Haliburton to finish his postgame interviews and handshakes before the two exited the court. When Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Johnson locked his arm with Haliburton’s and assisted him back to the locker room.
Johnson displayed his loyalty to the two-time NBA All-Star once again Saturday. Johnson flew into Indianapolis to attend the Simple Truth Tyrese Haliburton Pro Camp, which took place at the Pacers Athletic Center.
“For James to be here, it means a lot,” Haliburton told reporters Saturday. “… Obviously, people know the relationship I have with him, so for him to be here that means the world to me.”
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Johnson spent the past three seasons with the Pacers. Though Johnson only played in 12 games last year and averaged 0.7 points, the 38-year-old has been a crucial leader in Haliburton’s life and the Pacers organization. Haliburton and the Pacers didn’t have the best start to last season, but Johnson believes that adversity prepared Haliburton to deal with the Achilles tear.
“You have your ups and downs, and last year (Haliburton) didn’t start with his best 15 games, so everything that was going on before the injury built him to sustain his mental and his focus for the injury that happened,” Johnson told IndyStar. “He was already mentally strong, and this is just another testimony to put in his book.”
Johnson said he’s been impressed by Haliburton’s intentionality during his recovery, including his focus during rehab.
“He attacks everything the same. He doesn’t half-ass anything,” Johnson said. “His willingness and his grit are unmatched, and that’s why things like this are just a speed bump to guys like him. That’s why he’s always been inspirational in my life.”
Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan has expressed interest in retaining Johnson, but with no roster spots open, it may be a challenge to do so. Indiana didn’t have Johnson on its roster at the start of the 2023-24 season, but signed him as a free agent in December of that year.
“Give him credit,” Buchanan told Alex Golden of the “Setting the Pace” podcast in late July. “He’s embraced his role and has been outstanding for our team the last couple of years. He’s like a family member to all of us because he’s great with our players, he’s great with our staff, he’s great with our staff’s families.
”My kids adore James like you wouldn’t believe. Whether there’s a roster spot for James, obviously, Tyrese’s injury creates a butterfly effect with what we have to plan on and how the roster fits together. Right now, it could be challenging to find a spot for James, as much as we want him back. He’s always going to have a special spot for us.”
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