Paris Olympics: Tyrese Haliburton Realises Lifetime Dream as Grant Hill Presents Team USA Jersey to Pacers All-Star

“My goal is to play for USA until the wheels fall off. If I get that call to go, I’ll be there,” Tyrese Haliburton said during the All-Star event. Now, right before the playoffs, the guard’s wish is coming true. Just when players like Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, and Jalen Brunson led the projection to claim the vacant 12th spot on Team USA’s roster for the Paris Olympics, managing director Grant Hill pulled off a huge surprise.

According to Scott Agnes, Indiana Pacers‘ beat-time writer, Grant personally broke his selection news to Tyrese Haliburton; all while presenting him with his #9 International jersey. Earlier, on Tuesday, the NBA star admitted that the opportunity to wear national colors again would “mean the world” to him. He’s the 2nd-youngest player on the Olympics squad (24 years old), behind Anthony Edwards (22). This is quite a proud moment for him and his family as the star managed to break through a shortlist of 41 names!

Apart from the NBA, Haliburton comes off a shocking Team USA stint at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The young team, comprised of star and role players from the NBA, failed to garner a medal in last year’s run. However, when it comes to the Olympics, Team USA possesses an illustrious history. The nation has 16 gold medals within the segment and stands undefeated since 2004 when Argentina scooped in with a finale stunner.

Team USA makes 2023-24 Tyrese Haliburton’s best year!

Tyrese Haliburton’s Olympics selection sky-rockets his stock within the NBA. The 2-time all-star will now share the court with Hall-of-Famers like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid.

Haliburton is coming off his best NBA season so far. Being the leader of the Pacers, the guard spearheads the highest-scoring offense in the league. He posted 20.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, shooting 47.7% from the field and 36.4% from the arc. Moreover, his 10.9 assists per game sit as the highest for the 2023-24 season, trailed by MVP front-runners Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.

Moreover, Haliburton enabled the Pacers to become the fastest offense in the league during November. This put the inexperienced youngsters against teams like Boston, Bucks, and Lakers during the In-Season Tournament. Regardless, Hali posted 26.7 points alongside 13.3 assists throughout the 7 games to pit the Pacers at the runners-up spot.

Additionally, after winning the Kia Skills Challenge to start the all-star break, Haliburton went on a roll during his 2nd All-Star game. Even though Damian Lillard swooped in late for the MVP trophy, Haliburton was a close second. The guard dropped 32 points and 7 rebounds per game, shooting a whopping 73% (11-15 from the field and 10-14 from three).

Now, after his Team USA news, Haliburton will continue to make waves with his first-ever playoff game. In light of a recently brewed rivalry, the Pacers will face the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo in one of the most anticipated series in the East.