Tyrese Haliburton walked into a rare mid-August media session with plenty to say, and the biggest takeaway for Pacers fans was the one they wanted most: he says he’s ready.
“I saw a report that was like, 'sources tell me Tyrese will be healthy'... I am the source,” Haliburton told the media while laughing.
“I am healthy right now. I feel great.
Playing pickup pretty regularly at this point. So, I feel great.
I will be ready for the season. If the season was today, I'd be ready.
It can't come fast enough.”
The Pacers star also touched on life off the court after recently marrying Jade. “It's been all good so far. Nothing has really changed since we've been living together since I was like 19.”
He described the wedding as a memorable day, with the entire team showing up. “It was a lot of fun.
Literally every teammate was there. All the coaching staff and a lot of our organization was there.
Really special moment for me and very thankful for them being there.”
Haliburton also weighed in on Indiana’s offseason additions, starting with Kelly Oubre. “I think he adds a lot to us on both sides of the ball, but specifically defensively.
Being able to take on different challenges. Our league and our conference is very wing heavy, it was before with Boston but now especially with Philadelphia, you're gonna need multiple guys to throw at these good players and I think Kelly fits right in with that group.”
He said he already knew Oubre a bit from summer work with Drew Hanlen. “I'm really excited,” Haliburton said.
“Kelly's a guy I got to know through working with Drew Hanlen in the summer. We've had a few workouts together, lifted together.
He's a guy that's definitely been annoying for me to go against throughout my career so I'm excited for him to be on our side.”
Larry Nance Jr. got a mention too. “Bringing in a guy like Larry whose been in the league for a long time. I think he's really going to be able to help with our frontcourt depth.”
But the main reason Haliburton was in front of reporters was the return of the Indiana Pacers Charity Softball Game. He’s the face of the revived event, and he made it clear why he wanted it back.
Haliburton told Tony East of Circle City Spin that his reason for bringing the event back was because, “it's just fun.” He added, “Obviously, I know the history of the event and the last time it was had and what came with it, so create more positive memories behind it.
I was not here during that time, but being friends with McAfee and those guys, he had a lot of positive stories about that event and I want to be able to create that for a new generation of fans. I'm really looking forward to it.”
He also told Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star that the idea came up when he signed his extension with the Pacers, but the team’s deep playoff runs in 2024 and 2025 delayed the comeback until this offseason.
“I think it's another opportunity to bring the city together,” Haliburton said to the media. “We're not the only team here.
Bringing the Colts in, and the Fever are playing amazing right now, so being able to get some of them there [even though] I know they will not play, but just them being there means everything. Along with some of the ladies from the Ignite, the volleyball team.
I know Mike Epps is going to play and the rosters are far from finalized, but it;s gong to be fun.”
The event is set for August 24, with tickets still available for $10 general admission. Haliburton, Daniel Jones, Pat McAfee and other players and celebrity guests are slated to take part.
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The appeal of dealing McConnell is straightforward enough: it could open up room to reshape the roster and potentially bring back multiple assets instead of relying on one veteran point guard to hold things together. The problem is equally clear. Replacing what he brings is not easy, especially for a team that has leaned on his leadership, steadiness and institutional memory. So the Pacers are left weighing a familiar dilemma, keeping the player who helps define their identity or using that very value to build something more balanced around the edges. [Read more 🡒]
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Tyrese Haliburtons Return Just Sparked A Pacers Respect Debate
Tyrese Haliburton is finally set to return to NBA action after a 16-month absence because of an Achilles injury, and for the Pacers, that should have been the headline. Instead, the conversation around his comeback has drifted toward visibility, with Indianas star guard publicly questioning why his first game back is not getting a national TV window, even though the Pacers do have 11 nationally televised games on their schedule this season.
His return will come on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans, a setting that makes the moment feel even bigger for Indiana and its fans who have waited more than a year to see him back in game action. The odd part is that the league and broadcast partners did not put the comeback on a national stage, leaving a familiar Pacers frustration hanging over what should have been a clean celebration of Haliburtons return. [Read more 🡒]