1. Tyrese Haliburton Biography
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Tyrese John Haliburton |
| Date of Birth | February 29, 2000 |
| Birthplace | Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Current Team | Indiana Pacers |
| Position | Point Guard / Shooting Guard |
| Jersey Number | 0 |
| Height / Weight | 6’5″ (196 cm) / 185 lbs (84 kg) |
| Draft Year / Pick | 2020 NBA Draft — Round 1, Pick 12 (Sacramento Kings) |
| College | Iowa State University (2018–2020) |
| NBA Titles | 0 |
| MVP Awards | 0 (career MVP votes received, but no wins) |
| All-Star Selections | 2 (2023, 2024) |
| All-NBA Selections | 2 (Third Team, 2024 and 2025) |
| Career Averages | 17.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 8.8 APG, 47.7% FG |
2. Introduction: Who is Tyrese Haliburton?
Few point guards in recent memory have shifted a franchise’s identity as quickly as Tyrese Haliburton did in Indiana. Once a lightly-recruited prospect out of Wisconsin, Haliburton grew into the offensive engine behind one of the NBA’s most electric fast-break offenses, a two-time All-Star, and — before a devastating Achilles injury in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals — the closest thing the Pacers had to a championship-caliber floor general in a generation.
This guide pulls together everything worth knowing about Tyrese Haliburton: his roots in Oshkosh, his breakout at Iowa State, his trade from Sacramento to Indiana, his full season-by-season stat progression, his historic playoff run to the 2025 Finals, and where his recovery and career stand heading into the 2026-27 season. Whether you’re searching for a quick reference or a deep dive into his career, this is a comprehensive, up-to-date look at one of basketball’s most distinctive playmakers.
Did You Know? Haliburton was born on February 29, 2000 — a leap day — meaning he technically only gets a “real” birthday once every four years.
3. Early Life & Background of Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton was born on February 29, 2000, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a mid-sized city on the shores of Lake Winnebago not typically associated with producing NBA-caliber talent. Basketball ran in the family: his father, John Haliburton, had played college and professional basketball overseas, including a stint in Brazil, and is often credited with instilling in his son both a fundamentals-first mentality and an unusually mature basketball IQ from a young age.
Haliburton is also related to a recognizable NBA name — former league veteran and three-time NBA champion Eddie Jones is his cousin, giving him an informal connection to the professional game well before he ever suited up in the league himself. Growing up in Oshkosh, Haliburton played a variety of youth sports before basketball became his clear focus, developing a reputation locally not for overwhelming athleticism but for feel, vision, and shot-making touch — traits that would define his game for the rest of his career.
Unlike many future first-round picks, Haliburton wasn’t a heavily hyped five-star recruit. Recruiting services rated him modestly coming out of high school, and his path to becoming a lottery pick required him to outperform his rankings at every single level — a narrative thread that runs through his entire basketball journey.
4. High School & College/International Career
High School: Oshkosh North
At Oshkosh North High School, Haliburton developed into the best player in the state of Wisconsin. As a senior, he averaged roughly 22.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game, scoring in double figures in every game he played that season. He was named Wisconsin’s Gatorade Player of the Year, a two-time WBCA Division I First-Team All-State selection, and a USA Today All-USA Wisconsin First-Team honoree. One of his signature high school performances came in the state championship game, where he scored 30 points — including 23 in the second half — and went a perfect 18-for-18 from the free-throw line in the finals.
Despite the gaudy stats and hardware, major recruiting services still ranked Haliburton outside the very top tier of prospects nationally, which contributed to a recruitment that, while solid, didn’t match what his eventual NBA trajectory would suggest.
College: Iowa State Cyclones
Haliburton committed to Iowa State and enrolled in 2018. He made his college debut that November, recording 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists in a win over Alabama State. As a freshman, he was expected to be a role player behind an established backcourt, but injuries to teammates thrust him into a larger role earlier than planned, and he adapted quickly.
His sophomore season was the true breakout. Haliburton averaged 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game on efficient shooting splits, leading the Big 12 Conference in both assists per game and steals per game. He posted an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio and was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. That summer, he also starred for a USA Basketball U19 squad that won gold at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece, a performance that significantly boosted his NBA draft stock heading into his final college season.
Scouts consistently praised his court vision, describing him as playing a step ahead of his opponents mentally, while noting he needed to add strength and prove his outside shot was sustainable at higher levels. After two seasons in Ames, Haliburton declared for the 2020 NBA Draft.
5. Tyrese Haliburton Draft Night & Rookie Season
The Sacramento Kings selected Haliburton with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He wasn’t viewed as a franchise-changing star on draft night, but his feel for the game, shooting touch, and low turnover rate made him an appealing value pick outside the lottery’s top tier.
Did You Know? NBA legend Magic Johnson publicly praised Haliburton’s game and playmaking instincts on draft night, an early sign of the Magic Johnson comparisons that would follow him throughout his career because of his tall frame, unselfish style, and knack for pushing tempo.
As a rookie in 2020-21, Haliburton appeared in 58 games (20 starts) for Sacramento, averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while shooting an efficient 47.2% from the field and 40.9% from three. His poise, shooting, and low turnover numbers for a rookie point guard were rare enough that he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
6. Tyrese Haliburton Stats
| Season | Team | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | Sacramento Kings | 58 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 47.2% |
| 2021-22 | SAC/IND (traded midseason) | 77 | 15.3 | 4.0 | 8.2 | 47.3% |
| 2022-23 | Indiana Pacers | 56 | 20.7 | 3.7 | 10.4 | 49.0% |
| 2023-24 | Indiana Pacers | 69 | 20.1 | 3.9 | 10.9* | 47.7% |
| 2024-25 | Indiana Pacers | 73 | 18.6 | 3.5 | 9.2 | 47.3% |
| 2025-26 | Indiana Pacers | 0 (missed full season — Achilles) | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 333 | 17.5 | 3.7 | 8.8 | 47.7% |
Led the NBA in assists per game in 2023-24.
In February 2022, midway through his second season, Haliburton was traded from Sacramento to the Indiana Pacers in a multi-team deal centered on star big man Domantas Sabonis — a trade now widely regarded as beneficial for both franchises, since Sacramento snapped a lengthy playoff drought and Indiana landed the point guard who would become the face of its next competitive era.
The 2023-24 season stands out statistically: Haliburton became the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists per game while shooting 40% from three-point range in a single season, a benchmark that underscored both his scoring efficiency and his elite passing.
7. Tyrese Haliburton Playoff & Finals Performances
Haliburton’s postseason breakthrough came in 2024, when he helped lead the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals, their deepest playoff run in nearly a decade. Across 15 playoff games that spring, he averaged roughly 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game.
The 2025 playoffs, however, were the defining stretch of his career to date. Indiana authored a string of dramatic, come-from-behind postseason wins, with Haliburton delivering multiple clutch, series-defining shots across different rounds as the Pacers advanced all the way to the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder — the franchise’s first Finals appearance in team history. Over 23 playoff games that postseason, Haliburton averaged about 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game.
The Finals run ended painfully. Playing through a calf strain, Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon early in Game 7 of the Finals against Oklahoma City. Indiana ultimately lost the series, falling one win short of the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Did You Know? Haliburton is one of only two players in Pacers franchise history to record a game with at least 20 points and 20 assists — and he did it twice in his career.
8. Tyrese Haliburton Signature Moves & Playing Style
Haliburton’s game is built on tempo, vision, and shot-making rather than pure athleticism. His signature traits include:
- Push-the-pace playmaking: Few guards in the league generate as much offense in transition; Haliburton consistently ranked among the most efficient players in transition scoring and passing throughout his career.
- A distinctive, low, one-motion jump shot: His shooting form, sometimes described as unorthodox due to a low release point, became one of the more recognizable shots in the league and remains highly efficient from three-point range.
- Live-dribble, cross-court passing: He regularly threads full-court and cross-court passes that most guards wouldn’t attempt, a hallmark of the “Magic Johnson” comparisons that followed him from his draft night forward.
- Low turnover rate relative to usage: Even as his assist numbers climbed into league-leading territory, Haliburton consistently protected the basketball well compared to other high-usage table-setters.
- Clutch shot-making: His 2025 postseason run included multiple game-deciding shots late in close contests, cementing a reputation as one of the league’s more fearless closers in big moments.
9. Tyrese Haliburton Major Honors & Achievements (Championships, MVPs, All-NBA Selections)
- 2x NBA All-Star (2023, 2024)
- 2x All-NBA Third Team (2024, 2025)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2021)
- NBA Assists Leader — led the league in assists per game in the 2023-24 season (10.9 APG)
- Second-Team All-Big 12 (2020, Iowa State)
- Olympic Gold Medalist — member of the USA Basketball roster that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- NBA Finalist — helped lead the Indiana Pacers to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 2025 (the series was lost in seven games)
- NBA championships: 0
- MVP awards: 0
10. Tyrese Haliburton Rivalries & Head-to-Head Battles
Haliburton’s rise coincided with a broader wave of dynamic young point guards entering the league around the same draft window, and several matchups became recurring storylines:
- Vs. Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies): A stylistic contrast pitting Haliburton’s cerebral, pass-first game against Morant’s explosive, downhill athleticism, frequently discussed as a measuring stick for the position’s next generation.
- Vs. the Boston Celtics (2024 Eastern Conference Finals): Boston’s defense presented one of the toughest tests of Haliburton’s career, ultimately eliminating Indiana en route to the Celtics’ own championship run that year.
- Vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder (2025 NBA Finals): The seven-game Finals series against a young, defensively elite Thunder team was the signature series of Haliburton’s career, mixing signature heroics with the injury that ended his season.
- Vs. Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks): Another frequently compared floor general of the same NBA era, with fans and analysts regularly debating their differing styles — Young’s scoring gravity versus Haliburton’s pass-first efficiency.
11. Tyrese Haliburton Injuries & Setbacks
The defining setback of Haliburton’s career arrived in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, when he tore his right Achilles tendon after choosing to play through an existing calf strain rather than sit out the deciding game. He underwent surgery shortly afterward. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle publicly described the aftermath as emotionally difficult for the entire organization, while also relaying that Haliburton remained in good spirits during his recovery.
The injury forced Haliburton to miss the entire 2025-26 season. Without their star, the Pacers struggled significantly, finishing the year with a 19-63 record — one of the worst marks in the Eastern Conference — in what became a rebuilding-style season for the franchise. During his rehabilitation, Haliburton also dealt with an unrelated bout of shingles that further complicated his recovery timeline, according to multiple Indianapolis-based reporters covering the team.
By mid-2026, however, reporting from multiple NBA insiders — including Carlisle’s own public comments and league sources cited by NBA reporter Chris Haynes — indicated growing optimism that Haliburton was on track to be available for Indiana’s 2026-27 season opener, without lingering restrictions expected once training camp begins.
Did You Know? Haliburton wasn’t the only star to suffer a torn Achilles during the 2025 NBA playoffs — Boston’s Jayson Tatum and then-Milwaukee guard Damian Lillard both suffered the same injury that postseason, an unusually painful cluster of Achilles tears across the league’s playoff field that year.
12. Off-the-Court Life
Away from basketball, Haliburton has become known for a relaxed, personable public image, frequently engaging with fans and media through humor and candor. He hosts an annual youth basketball camp in Carmel, Indiana — a program he has now run for several consecutive years — reflecting a hands-on commitment to community engagement in his adopted home state.
Haliburton is active on social media (Instagram handle: tyresehaliburton) and has picked up several nicknames among fans and media over his career, including “Hali,” “The Moment,” and “HIMaburton.” He has spoken publicly about balancing the pressures of being a franchise cornerstone in a smaller-market NBA city with a desire to stay grounded and connected to the communities of both Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Indianapolis, Indiana.
13. Tyrese Haliburton Net Worth, Endorsements & Brand
Haliburton’s business profile grew considerably as his on-court production climbed. In October 2024, he signed what was widely reported as a “massive” multi-year signature shoe deal with Puma, becoming a marquee face of the brand’s basketball division alongside other Puma-sponsored players. He had previously been signed with Nike before the switch. He has also served as a brand ambassador for the watch company Movado.
On the contract side, Haliburton signed a five-year rookie-scale extension with the Indiana Pacers in 2023, reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski as a designated maximum extension worth up to $260 million, with the deal beginning in the 2024-25 season and containing no player option along with a trade kicker.
Regarding net worth: precise net worth figures for active athletes are not publicly disclosed and are typically outside estimates rather than confirmed numbers. What is publicly documented is that Haliburton’s career NBA salary earnings have exceeded $105 million as of 2026, according to salary-tracking data from Basketball-Reference, in addition to his shoe and endorsement income, which is not publicly broken down in exact figures.
14. Tyrese Haliburton Facts for Fans
- He was born on February 29, 2000 — a leap-year baby who “ages” on the calendar only once every four years.
- His cousin, Eddie Jones, is a former NBA veteran and three-time league champion.
- He wears jersey No. 0 for the Indiana Pacers.
- He won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- He was the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, selected by the Sacramento Kings.
- He was traded to Indiana in February 2022 as part of the Domantas Sabonis deal.
- In 2023-24, he became the first NBA player ever to average 20+ points and 10+ assists while shooting 40%+ from three in the same season.
- He led the entire NBA in assists per game during the 2023-24 season.
- He famously showed up to a Pacers media day wearing loafers instead of sneakers while negotiating his Puma shoe deal.
- His nicknames include “Hali,” “The Moment,” and “HIMaburton.”
- He has recorded multiple 20-point, 20-assist games in his career — a feat matched by only one other Pacer in franchise history.
- He tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and missed the entire following season recovering.
15. Comparison with Peers
| Player | Career PPG | Championships | MVP Awards | All-NBA Selections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrese Haliburton | 17.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ja Morant | ~22.9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Trae Young | ~25.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Figures reflect career regular-season averages and honors through the 2025-26 season; all three players remain active and these numbers will continue to change.
While Trae Young has generally posted higher individual scoring numbers and Ja Morant brings a more explosive, rim-attacking dimension, Haliburton has distinguished himself with superior shooting efficiency, a higher assist rate relative to turnovers, and — as of 2025 — the deepest playoff run of the three, having reached the NBA Finals.
16. Tyrese Haliburton Legacy & Impact on Basketball
Even before a championship, Haliburton’s stylistic influence on the sport is notable. His pass-first, pace-pushing approach helped popularize a template for modern point guards who prioritize ball movement and shot efficiency over isolation scoring volume, and his run to the 2025 Finals put the long-dormant Indiana Pacers franchise back into the national conversation for the first time in years.
His legacy is still very much in progress. A healthy return in 2026-27, further playoff success, and continued shooting efficiency would strengthen a Hall-of-Fame-adjacent trajectory; how he recovers from a serious Achilles injury will be one of the more closely watched storylines of the coming NBA season.
17. What’s Next — Current Season/Career Outlook
As of August 2026, Haliburton has been documented in rehab videos and public appearances showing strong progress, including participation in five-on-five scrimmages during the offseason. Pacers coaching staff and multiple NBA insiders have expressed growing confidence that he’ll be available for Indiana’s 2026-27 season opener in October, though Haliburton himself has cautioned that regaining “basketball shape” and his trademark speed will take additional time even once he’s medically cleared. The Pacers, coming off a rebuilding 19-63 season without him, will be counting heavily on his return to reestablish themselves as an Eastern Conference contender.
18. Frequently Asked Question About Tyrese Haliburton
1. How old is Tyrese Haliburton?
He was born February 29, 2000, making him 26 years old as of 2026.
2. Where was Tyrese Haliburton born?
Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
3. What team drafted Tyrese Haliburton?
The Sacramento Kings selected him 12th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
4. How did Tyrese Haliburton end up with the Indiana Pacers?
He was traded from Sacramento to Indiana in February 2022 as part of a deal centered on Domantas Sabonis.
5. Has Tyrese Haliburton won an NBA championship?
No. He and the Pacers reached the 2025 NBA Finals but lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.
6. What injury is Tyrese Haliburton recovering from?
A torn right Achilles tendon suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, which caused him to miss the entire 2025-26 season.
7. What shoe brand does Tyrese Haliburton wear?
Puma, after signing a multi-year signature-level shoe deal with the brand in October 2024.
8. What is Tyrese Haliburton’s jersey number?
No. 0 for the Indiana Pacers.
9. Has Tyrese Haliburton made an All-NBA team?
Yes, he was named All-NBA Third Team in both 2024 and 2025.
10. Will Tyrese Haliburton play in the 2026-27 season?
As of mid-2026, he and the Pacers organization have both expressed optimism that he’ll be ready for the start of the season, though his exact conditioning timeline will become clearer during training camp.
19. Sources & References
Wikipedia – [Source] , Basketball-Reference.com – [Source] , ESPN – [Source] , ESPN – [Source] , Sports-Reference (College Basketball) – [Source] , Iowa StateAthletics – [Source] , CBS Sports – [Source] , CBS Sports – [Source] , Bleacher Report – [Source] , Bleacher Report – [Source] , Heavy.com – [Source]




