Tyrese Haliburton On ‘Podcast P With Paul George’

Tyrese Haliburton speaks on the In-Season tournament wins, his dad’s critique, and the drive to win with “Podcast P with Paul George”.

Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton dropped by “Podcast P with Paul George”, presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, to discuss his team’s surprise run in the NBA In-Season tournament.

During the conversation Tyrese talks about his epic triple-double vs. the Boston Celtics, playing in high-pressure games for the first time, and how playing for Team USA over the summer helped prepare him for this run.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• 24:04 – TYRESE ON TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

“Uh I think this was the whole point of the in-season tournament, you know? Was to get a team like us where the expectations aren’t necessarily very high and we’re playing for something and this is all of the dude on our team’s first time playing for something so I think that’s the exciting part about it. We’ve got a lot of young, hungry dudes and last night [the game against the Celtics at] Gainbridge was the loudest, craziest crowd I’ve ever played in front of in the NBA and I imagine that’s what the playoffs feel like, ain’t like I know anything about that but I’m hoping that it’s like that. I think it’s a lot of fun for us guys to come together and we’re really competing for something that means a lot to us. Outside of Bruce [Brown Jr.] who’s coming off a championship, not many of us have really played for anything.”

• 27:30 – TYRESE ON WHO IS TOUGHEST CRITIC IS AND HOW HE RESPONDS

“Yeah, yeah he [my dad] is [one of my toughest critics] for sure. He just is all about me, you know the other day we were in Miami getting ready to play. The bus leave[s] at 4, it’s like 2:30 [and] he called me, [he] said ‘Where you at man?’ I said ‘Playing Call of Duty. I gotta go to the game in an hour and a half. I’m just trying to chill.’ He was like ‘You need to be in the gym!’ I’m like ‘What? The bus is in an hour and a half.’ He was like yeah ‘I understand that. I understand that. I’m not trying to be all over you but you need to be in the gym man, we gotta stop losing.’ I was like ‘What? Leave me alone man.’”

• 30:10 – TYRESE ON LOSING ON TEAM USA AND THE FIRE IT IGNITED FOR HIM TO WANT TO WIN

“I think the biggest thing I took away from Team USA, and I’ve said this multiple times now, is like I’m just tired of losing. Team USA was the first time I had real expectations to win something in a long time and still didn’t win. So I’m coming home, I’m looking at myself in the mirror and I’m like you gotta change something. Like something gotta change. Maybe it’s not you but it’s you. You gotta figure it out. So just changing my daily approach. I’ve always hated the weight room but I’m trying to show more love to that. Just more love to my work and my craft and honestly doing whatever it takes to put my team in position to win because losing is draining.”

• 31:33 – TYRESE ON IF THERE IS AN ADVANTAGE PLAYING ON TEAM USE HEADING INTO THE NBA SEASON

Paul: “You know the question around guys that play for Team USA, they have an advantage because you’re playing a lot later in the summer, leading into the season so you feel you’re already in rhythm. Do you think that has an effect on how your start is going?”

Tyrese: “To be honest, I think that’s cap though. I think cap. We all started the year trash. All the dudes who played [on Team] USA, none of us were shooting well to start the year. Like none of us were shooting well. I think I started the year shooting I was like 25-30% from [the] three. Then Paolo [Banchero] hit a game-winner and that kinda– alright I’m locked in now. He got the lid off for everybody.”