Growing up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Tyrese Haliburton was used to being overlooked. At 14, he was cut from his AAU team. His high school coach called him the worst freshman he’d ever coached. He was a skinny kid with a funky jump shot, a three-star recruit who barely got any college offers. The world told Tyrese he wasn’t good enough, but Tyrese never really listened.
Early Setbacks and Relentless Work
Tyrese’s father, John, was a middle school girls’ basketball coach. John couldn’t leave for work without Tyrese tugging at his sleeve, begging to tag along. “He was three years old and wouldn’t let me tie my shoes and leave,” John recalled. “I couldn’t go without him.” Tyrese’s obsession was born on those courts, chasing the game with his dad and older brothers, learning to love the grind before he could even dribble properly.
When Tyrese joined youth leagues and AAU ball, he played alongside future NBA star Tyler Herro. But even then, he was told he didn’t belong. Herro’s father, who coached the team, told Tyrese’s parents he wasn’t good enough for the program. “They never said I was cut, but my parents told me it was essentially like, ‘he can come if he wants to,’” Tyrese remembered. That was worse than being cut.
At his first practice with a new AAU team, coaches noticed his jumper started below his waist—a habit from when he was too little to shoot properly. His coach had his three-year-old grandson defend Tyrese, and the preschooler blocked his shot. The gym erupted in laughter. Tyrese left in tears, but he was back the next day, determined to fix his shot.
The High School Years: From “Worst Freshman” to State Champion
Freshman year, Tyrese was late to practice. Coach Frank Shade made him sit at center court while his teammates ran sprints as punishment. Shade once called Tyrese the “worst freshman he’d ever coached.” But Tyrese didn’t quit. He trained relentlessly, running drills every summer morning from age six to sixteen. By junior year, he led Oshkosh North to an undefeated regular season, but choked in the state quarterfinals.
The loss stung, but Tyrese came back with a vengeance. As a senior, he averaged nearly 23 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, leading Oshkosh North to a 26-1 record and their first state championship—pouring in 30 points and going 18-for-18 from the line in the final. Yet, national recruiters still ignored him. Only after seeing him play live did Iowa State’s coaches realize they’d found something special.
College: The Unheralded Leader
At Iowa State, Tyrese’s impact wasn’t just in the box score. His freshman numbers were modest—6.8 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds—but his charisma and leadership were unmistakable. NBA scouts noticed how he listened, how he energized teammates, how he bonded with coaches and refs alike. “He just had such a presence,” one coach said.
By sophomore year, Tyrese had improved to 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. But a broken wrist cut his season short. Even injured, he stayed with the team, cheering from the bench, showing the same selflessness that would define his pro career.
Draft Night and the Sacramento Years
Despite his efficiency and high basketball IQ, Tyrese was overlooked in the 2020 NBA draft. He fell to the 12th pick, selected by the Sacramento Kings. Many teams doubted his skinny frame and odd shooting form. But when the season started, Tyrese silenced doubters, shooting 41% from three and posting one of the league’s best assist-to-turnover ratios. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, behind LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards.
In his second season, Tyrese averaged 14.3 points and a team-high 7.4 assists. But with the Kings struggling and already invested in De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese was traded to the Indiana Pacers in a blockbuster deal.
Changing the Culture in Indiana
It took just two practices for Tyrese to transform the Pacers. The ball moved faster, players cut harder, and the team’s energy changed. Tyrese, raised on Magic Johnson highlights and PlayStation’s bird’s-eye view of the court, saw passing lanes before anyone else did. He wanted to empower his teammates, believing that “the basketball gods reward good energy.”
In his first full season as a Pacer, Tyrese averaged 20.7 points, 10.4 assists, and 1.6 steals, flirting with the exclusive 50-40-90 shooting club and earning his first All-Star nod. His leadership and infectious positivity made Indiana one of the NBA’s fastest, most exciting teams.
Breakout and Stardom
The Pacers built around Tyrese—drafting athletes, trading for Obi Toppin and Pascal Siakam, and signing Bruce Brown. Tyrese responded by adding muscle and refining his game. In 2023-24, he averaged 20.1 points and a league-leading 10.9 assists. He recorded his first triple-double, joined legends like Magic Johnson and John Stockton with back-to-back 20-point, 20-assist games, and led the Pacers to the NBA playoffs for the first time in four years.
In his playoff debut, Tyrese notched a triple-double and hit a game-winner against Milwaukee. He wore a hoodie with Reggie Miller’s iconic choke sign before a Game 7 against the Knicks—and then backed up the trash talk, dropping 26 points and leading Indiana to the Finals for the first time since 2000.
Overcoming Doubt, Again and Again
But the world still doubted. In 2025, Tyrese’s own peers voted him the NBA’s “most overrated player” in an anonymous poll. He slumped early in the season, battling self-doubt for the first time in his life. But by Christmas, he found his groove, finishing the year averaging 18.6 points and 9.2 assists, with the league’s best assist-to-turnover ratio.
In the playoffs, Tyrese went on a historic clutch run—game-winners, comebacks, and record-setting performances. He became the first player in playoff history with 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 15+ assists with zero turnovers in a game. He led Indiana to another Finals run, cementing his status as one of the league’s best point guards.
Legacy: From Overlooked to Unstoppable
Tyrese Haliburton’s journey is far from over. At just 25, he’s already a two-time All-NBA selection, a two-time All-Star, and the heart of a resurgent Pacers franchise. His unorthodox style, relentless positivity, and leadership have made him a superstar in a league that once doubted he belonged.
They called him overrated. But Tyrese Haliburton proved, once and for all, that greatness isn’t about where you start—it’s about how you finish.
