Pacers' Star Discusses Bond With Joel Embiid

It's been over a year since Team USA was awarded its gold medals for its efforts in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Among some icons of the game, there lied the likes of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Haliburton, who are more used to seeing each other over the course of the regular season on the opposite ends of the court.

While Embiid would go onto appear in five of Team USA's games, averaging 11.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, Haliburton would only take to the court in three matches, putting up 2.7 points in 8.7 minutes per outing.

While not sharing the court together too much, this time together in Paris helped the two superstars form a bond, according to Haliburton, which has carried through to the present day, given that the two talk over the phone, as the Indiana Pacers' star recounted on a recent episode of Impaulsive.

What did Haliburton have to say about Embiid?

Joel Embiid guards Tyrese Haliburton. — Mar 6, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball while Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

"That Olympic team has made me be cool with like everybody, that's been the cool part about it, like not many people are cool with Joel Embiid," explained Haliburton. "I happen to be pretty cool with him, he actually thinks - he actually FaceTimed me the other day and I'm like you don't call anybody so he's like genuinely checking in on me..."

The 25-year-old was quick to explain that it wasn't so much other players not being cool with the Sixers' star, but rather him just being protective of who he lets close to him, noting that while the Cameroonian may not let others train with him, he allows Haliburton to.

"He's a cool [expletive] dude, he's just weary of people, he'll keep people at an arm's distance... we work out in LA [Los Angeles] with the same trainer, he usually kicks everybody out the gym when he works out, but he lets me stay, so I know I'm in his good graces.

As things stand, both players are set to continue their respective recoveries from season-ending injuries, with Embiid having his campaign cut short as the Sixers looked to find methods to remedy his concurrent knee issues.

Haliburton, on the other hand, famously suffered a torn Achilles tendon in game seven of the NBA Finals against the eventual victors, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury brought an end to what was quite the playoff run for the 25-year-old, as he averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 assists across the 23 games he appeared in.

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