VIDEO: 'Criminals' Haliburton, Ingram 'Steal' Knicks Star Jalen Brunson's Wallet
Jalen Brunson's getting over $75 million from the New York Knicks over the next three seasons. He can surely afford a few "stolen" snacks.
Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton was officially credited with no steals during his first excursion with the United States' primary national basketball squad but he picked one up after the game.
Alas, he took not the basketball but rather Brunson's wallet.
Brunson, likewise making his maiden voyage on the senior group, apparently left his wallet in the locker room of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after Team USA took down Puerto Rico in the first leg of a five-game preparation slate for the FIBA World Cup. Both Brunson and Haliburton played major roles in the 117-74 triumph, the former putting for an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Haliburton dished out a game-best 12 assists, a performance he apparently deemed worthy of a visit to the arena's vending machines. Having found an inadvertent investor in refreshment in the form of Brunson, Haliburton got himself a bag of Funyuns.
"JB left his wallet ... and we hit him!" a jubilant Haliburton said in a post on his Instagram story while brandishing Brunson's wallet and the onion-flavored yield. The Pacers star also reveals that he had a co-conspirator in the form of New Orleans Pelicans' standout Brandon Ingram, whose tastes veer a bit sweeter: while he does boasts a bag of sour cream and cheddar Ruffles potato chips, Ingram also treated himself to a bottle of Gatorade and a Big Texas cinnamon roll.
Brunson certainly hopes that Haliburton and Ingram enjoyed their meal, claiming on his own Instagram story that he's "not paying for anything the rest of the trip." On X, formerly known as Twitter, Brunson perhaps earned the last laugh, hinting that he's glad Haliburton and Ingram chose to play basketball rather than take on a life of crime.
Brunson will have plenty of time to plot revenge, if he's seeking it: as they continue their pre-World Cup tune-up slate, Team USA is moving on to Spain for a weekend doubleheader that tips off on Saturday against Slovenia in Malaga (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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