Tyrese Haliburton will be back at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, and the Colts are hoping he can help rekindle a little more of the magic.
The Pacers All-Star guard is set to strike the anvil before Indianapolis opens its home schedule against the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a familiar role for Haliburton, who has already been given the honor for a Colts home opener once before. The last time he did it, the Colts pulled off a 20-17 upset over Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
That kind of timing is hard to ignore, especially for a Colts team that could use a clean start. Indianapolis went 8-2 to open last season, then fell apart late, dropping its final seven games to finish 8-9. The Colts also head into this year without their first-round pick after sending it away in the trade for star cornerback Sauce Gardner.
A strong showing against Baltimore would go a long way toward changing the mood.
Haliburton has become a regular presence around the Colts since establishing himself with the Pacers. When his NBA schedule gives him the chance, he’s often at games inside Lucas Oil Stadium, frequently seated next to Pat McAfee. That connection between the city’s NBA and NFL teams has turned into part of Indianapolis sports culture.
He’s not the only Pacer to take part in the anvil tradition, either. T.J.
McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker have all had their turn, while former Pacers Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner have also struck it. Haliburton and Toppin have already been tied to wins this season in the Colts’ eyes, adding to the sense that the ritual has a little extra juice when the Pacers show up.
If the Colts are looking for another dose of that, Sunday will be Haliburton’s chance to provide it.
After that, his attention shifts back to basketball. The Pacers are a little more than two weeks away from NBA Media Day and training camp, and their first preseason game is set for Oct. 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Ames, Iowa. That stop will mean something extra for Haliburton, who began at Iowa State before launching his NBA career.
For now, though, he gets one more turn in the football spotlight. One swing of the anvil, and the Colts will be underway.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburtons Latest 49ers Troll Gave Pacers Fans Another Reason To Watch
Tyrese Haliburton has always found ways to keep himself in the conversation, even while he works his way back from the Achilles injury he suffered in the 2025 NBA Finals. The Pacers guard was recently seen on a stream wearing a San Francisco 49ers jersey with Love on the back, a nod that had plenty of people looking twice because of the name on the shirt and Haliburtons well-known connection to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, his former Iowa State teammate and roommate.
For Pacers fans, it was another reminder that Haliburton is still very much around the sport even as he rehabs and looks ahead to the upcoming season. His relationship with Purdy has already made for an easy crossover between Indiana basketball and San Francisco football, and this latest bit of trolling only added to the collection of off-court moments that keep Haliburton in the spotlight while he prepares to get back on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Preseason Hinges On One Massive Haliburton Question
The Pacers are heading into preseason with their biggest storyline still tied to Tyrese Haliburtons health, and it is hard to overstate how much of their early season planning flows from his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury suffered in the previous NBA Finals. Indianapolis has spent the summer navigating the same uncomfortable reality that now follows several star guards who have faced similar injuries: there is no clean timetable, no easy shortcut, and no certainty about how quickly a player can return to the pace and explosiveness that made him central to everything Indiana wanted to do.
For a team that leans so heavily on Haliburtons creation, the uncertainty puts added pressure on the rest of the roster, especially a bench that already looked like an area to monitor before the injury news. The Pacers may need someone deeper on the roster to emerge sooner than expected, because preseason is no longer just about ramping up for opening night. It is about finding out who can steady the group if Haliburtons return takes longer, and whether Indiana has enough surprise help waiting behind its top names to keep the season from getting away early. [Read more 🡒]